title: Estrogen receptor-alpha polymorphism in patients with and without degenerative disease of the temporomandibular joint.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The genetic aspect of degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the temporomandibular joint is poorly understood. The prevalence of the estrogen receptor alpha (ER-alpha) gene polymorphism in patients with and without DJD using xbal and pvull restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) was studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  DNA samples from 42 DJD⁺ and 36 DJD⁻ subjects were amplified. A 346-base pair long ER-alpha gene fragment containing the two sites of polymorphism in intron 1 was analyzed for xbal and pvull RFLP. Statistical analysis was carried out using Fisher's exact test and two-group t-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five different ER-alpha genotypes were found in both groups. These were PXPX, pxpx, pxPX, PxPX, and pxPx.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a higher number of pxpx and pxPX genotypes in the DJD⁺ samples compared to the DJD⁻ group, which suggests the presence of polymorphism possibly modulates the ER-alpha activity in bone and contributes to the degenerative process in the joint.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stemig
authors.forename: Sandra L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Shanti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaimal
authors.forename: Mohammad Saiful
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Islam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C506487:ESR1 protein, human; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha
keywords: Degenerative joint disease; Estrogen receptor alpha,; Polymorphism,; Temporomandibular joint,