title: Ghrelin gene polymorphisms in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ghrelin, an endogenous orexigenic peptide, has anti-inflammatory effects, down-regulates pro-inflammatory cytokines, and its altered levels are reported in various inflammatory diseases. The human preproghrelin (ghrelin/obestatin) gene shows several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) including Arg51Gln, Leu72Met, Gln90Leu, and A-501C. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency, and clinical significance, of these four SNPs in a small cohort of Turkish patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 103 patients with RA and 103 healthy controls. In the RA group, disease activity and disease-related damage were assessed using the Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS-28), and the modified Larsen scoring (MLS) methods. In all the participants, genomic DNA was isolated and genotyped by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequencies of ghrelin gene SNPs were 82.5 and 79.6% in the RA and control groups, respectively, and there were no significant differences in terms of genotype distributions and allele frequencies for these four SNPs between the groups. However, the A-501C SNP was found to be associated with early disease onset, and Gln90Leu SNP with less frequent rheumatoid factor positivity, in the RA group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A-501C SNP is associated with earlier onset of RA suggesting that genetic variations in the ghrelin gene may have an impact on RA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey.
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozgen
authors.forename: Suleyman Serdar
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Koca
authors.forename: Ebru Onalan
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Etem
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yuce
authors.forename: Suleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Isik
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001175:Arthrography / Q000379:methods; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000235:genetics*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014421:Turkey / Q000208:ethnology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin