title: The role of functional polymorphisms of the TNF-alpha gene promoter in the risk of ischemic stroke in Chinese Han and Uyghur populations: Two case-control studies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increasing evidences for the role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in the occurrence of ischemic stroke (IS) have shown that it belongs to pro-inflammatory cytokines and carries functional polymorphisms (TNF-alpha -238G/A and TNF-alpha -308G/A) in its promoter region, which affect their transcription rate and plasma cytokine level. We determined the association between these polymorphisms and the occurrence of IS in the Chinese Han and Uyghur populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  The TNF-alpha -238G/A and TNF-alpha -308G/A polymorphisms were determined by TaqMan SNP Genotyping assays in cases (n=748) and controls (n=748). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to show the association between the TNF-alpha genotypes and the IS events.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant difference was found in the association between TNF-alpha -238G/A and IS in both ethnic populations. The result showed that carriage of the TNF-alpha -308GA was a decreased risk of IS in both Han and Uyghur populations (OR:0.453, 0.213). In addition, the significant difference in GA frequency in TNF-alpha was found between the two ethnic controls (P=0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TNF-alpha -308 GA heterozygous may be an independent protective factor for IS in the Chinese Han and Uyghur populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Key Lab of Chronic Diseases Prevention, Institute of Social Medicine, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, PR China.
authors.forename: Yeqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Yijie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhihong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yanwei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Liangqiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Renli
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Pingjian
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Yongbin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wanli
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: Zuxun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jinquan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China; D017931:DNA Primers; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D020521:Stroke / Q000235:genetics*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha