title: Is there any increased risk of hypertension, diabetes and cardiac diseases in psoriatic patients with TNF-α G238A and G308A polymorphism?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psoriasis is regarded as a complex autoimmune disease with strong genetic background. Psoriatic patients suffer from many comorbidities including hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) may be a key player that triggers psoriasis and diabetes, hypertension and cardiac disease at the same time.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate genetic variations in the TNF-α region and its association with psoriasis and related comorbidities.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study covered 129 psoriasis patients with three main subgroups with coronary artery disease (n= 41), hypertension (n= 35), and diabetes (n= 21). DNA samples were genotyped for TNF-α G308A and G238A polymorphisms by real-time polymerase chain reaction melting-curve analysis and results were compared statistically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Psoriatic patients with both TNF-α-298 and TNF-α-308 polymorphisms showed no statistically significant increase in the risk of hypertension (OR = 0.425, χ² = 1.76,p= 0.18 and OR = 1.87, χ² = 1.33,p= 0.25), coronary artery disease (OR = 1.97, χ² = 1.91,p= 0.17 and OR = 2.63, χ² = 1.35,p= 0.25), or diabetes (OR = 1.35, χ² = 0.24,p= 0.62 and OR = 1.53, χ² = 0.24,p= 0.62).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current preliminary results suggested that there was no correlation between TNF-α promoter polymorphism and diabetes, hypertension and cardiac disease among psoriatic patients in the Turkish population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Canakkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Selda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Işik
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, School of Medicine, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Canakkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Meliha Merve
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hız
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Canakkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevilay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kılıç
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Canakkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zerrin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Öğretmen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Canakkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Silan
keywords: G298A; G308A; diabetes; hypertension; psoriasis; tumor necrosis factor α