title: Genetic association of TNF-α-308 G/A and -863 C/A polymorphisms with late onset Alzheimer's disease in Azeri Turk population of Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent findings suggest that production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as Tumour Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α), is increased in the brain tissue of patients suffering late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) and play an important role in the pathogenesis of this disease. Several epidemiological studies also suggest that patients taking anti-inflammatory drugs have a decreased risk of developing AD. TNF-α is an important pro inflammatory cytokine that is unregulated in Alzheimer's patients. Functional polymorphisms in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) can affect immune response, inflammation, tissue injury and possibly the susceptibility to Alzheimer disease (AD).
  
  
  METHODS
  We used the polymorphic DNA markers (-308G/A) and (-863C/A) to study the association of TNF-α gene mutations with Late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) and the relation between clinical features and genotypes in affected individuals. A total of 160 patient samples and 163 healthy controls from west northern Iran (Eastern Azerbaijan) were genotyped for the two polymorphisms by the PCR-RFLP method and genotype frequencies were statistically determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our data showed significant difference in TNF-α-308 G/A genotype and pro inflammatory cytokine allele frequencies between the Alzheimer disease patients and healthy subjects. Contrary to that, no significant difference was observed in TNF-α-863 C/A genotype and allele frequencies between these two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TNF-α-308 G/A gene polymorphism could affect cerebral inflammatory response and the risk of late-onset Alzheimer disease but -863 C/A polymorphism does not influence the risk of this disease and this possible association between TNF-α -308G/A and -863C/A gene polymorphisms have to be further elucidated in larger case control studies.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Seiied Moitaba Mohaddes
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ardebili
authors.forename: Tarlan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yeghaneh
authors.forename: Jalal
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gharesouran
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rezazadeh
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farhoudi
authors.forename: Hormoz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ayromlou
authors.forename: Mahnaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Talebi
authors.forename: Morteza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghojazadeh