title: The macrophage migration inhibitory factor -173G/C polymorphism is not significantly associated with necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among premature infants. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that has been implicated in the pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel diseases. The MIF promoter contains a functionally relevant single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) G→C at position -173, with the MIF -173*C allele being associated with higher MIF expression in vitro and with higher MIF levels in vivo. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the G/C polymorphism at -173 of the MIF promoter is associated with the development of NEC.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective cohort study, 107 preterm infants (GA ≤ 32 weeks), of whom 41 had NEC (NEC Stage I n = 20, Stage II n = 3, Stage III n = 18) and 66 were not affected, were genotyped for the MIF -173 SNP. MIF genotyping was carried out by PCR and DHPLC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We did not find significant differences in the prevalence of the -173G/C polymorphism and in the distribution of the -173 MIF genotype in infants with NEC compared to controls. Moreover, we did not observe an association between the polymorphism and mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The polymorphism -173G/C of the MIF promoter does not appear to be of major importance in the pathophysiology of NEC in preterm infants.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Rheumatology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Giusi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Prencipe
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Auriti
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Inglese
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gallusi
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dotta
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Benedetti
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D020345:Enterocolitis, Necrotizing / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics*; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases; C515598:MIF protein, human
keywords: Cytokines; Innate immunity; MIF; NEC