title: A pilot study of the association of tumor necrosis factor alpha polymorphisms with psoriatic arthritis in the Romanian population.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is an important pro-inflammatory cytokine implicated in the pathogenesis of psoriatic arthritis. We have performed a case-control association study of three TNF-alpha gene polymorphisms in a group of Romanian psoriatic arthritis patients versus ethnically matched controls. A second group of patients with undifferentiated spondyloarthritis was used in order to look for similarities in the genetic background of the two rheumatic disorders. The -857C/T polymorphism was associated with susceptibility to psoriatic arthritis in our population at the individual level (p = 0.03, OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.05-2.57) and in combined haplotypes with the -238G/A and -308G/A SNPs. Regarding the investigated polymorphisms and derived haplotypes, no potential association was found with the susceptibility to undifferentiated spondyloarthritis in Romanian patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University Carol Davila, Bucharest 041914, Romania; E-Mails:  oliviapopa@yahoo.com  (O.M.P);  caravi.bara@gmail.com  (C.B.).
authors.forename: Olivia M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Popa
authors.forename: Mihai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bojinca
authors.forename: Violeta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bojinca
authors.forename: Monica I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Dutescu
authors.forename: Mihaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meirosu
authors.forename: Ruxandra E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Caisan
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ciofu
authors.forename: Constantin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bara
authors.forename: Luis O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Popa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha