title: Tumour necrosis factor-alpha gene polymorphisms in asbestos-induced diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha influences the pathogenesis of lung fibrosis and carcinogenesis in normal cells. Polymorphisms of this gene have been suggested to be associated with susceptibility to lung diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Association studies were performed in German subjects, using control subjects (n = 177), pulmonary fibrosis patients (n = 612) and bronchial carcinoma patients (n = 374).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with a healthy (control) group, a significant result could be obtained for the asbestosis (patient) group (crude odds ratio (OR(crude)) = 1.57; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05-2.36; p = 0.03), especially with severe lung asbestosis (OR(crude) = 4.15; 95% CI 1.06-16.16; p = 0.04). A significant association was revealed when comparing asbestosis patients (OR(crude) = 4.08; 95% CI 1.53-10.54; p = 0.004 and OR(adjusted) = 3.89; 95% CI 1.49-10.17; p = 0.006) with asbestos-induced lung cancer patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results confirm the hypothesis that TNF-alpha polymorphisms are associated with asbestos-induced fibrotic or malignant lung diseases in Germans.
authors.affiliation: Institut und Poliklinik für Arbeits- und Sozialmedizin, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Aulweg 129, D-35392 Giessen, Germany. Simone.Helmig@arbmed.med.uni-giessen.de
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Helmig
authors.forename: Nahid
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aliahmadi
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D001194:Asbestos; D002273:Carcinogens; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D001194:Asbestos