title: The effect of IL-4 and MTHFR gene variants in ankylosing spondylitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease that characteristically affects the sacroiliac joints and the spine. The exact pathogenesis of AS remains poorly understood, but genetic factors play a key role in disease development. Several genes have been consistently associated with susceptibility to AS. This study was conducted in Turkish AS patients to determine the frequency of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene C677T and interleukin-4 (IL-4) gene 70 bp variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) variants, as well as their association with clinical characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Genomic DNA obtained from 272 persons (122 AS patients and 150 healthy controls) was used in this study. Genomic DNA was isolated and genotyped using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay for the MTHFR C677T and IL-4 70 bp VNTR gene variants, which were determined using specific PCR primers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was statistically significant difference between the groups with respect to MTHFR genotype distribution (p = 0.02) and allele frequencies (p < 0.001). When we examined MTHFR and IL-4 genotype frequencies according to clinical characteristics, we found an association between the homozygous MTHFR TT genotype and ocular involvement, although this did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.02). However, we did not find any difference between the groups with respect to IL-4 genotype distribution or allele frequencies and clinical characteristics (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that there is an association of the MTHFR gene C677T polymorphism with the susceptibility of a person for development of AS. However, the IL-4 gene is not associated with AS within the same population.
authors: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Biology, Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat, Turkey, serbulent.yigit@gmail.com.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Yigit
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Inanir
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Tural
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Filiz
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Tekcan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D015995:Prevalence; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; C508598:IL4 protein, human; D015847:Interleukin-4; C573423:MTHFR protein, human; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)