The Application of Clinical Genetics (Nov 2019)
Candidate Gene Analysis Of Alopecia Areata In Jordanian Population Of Arab Descent: A Case–Control Study
Abstract
Laith N AL-Eitan,1,2 Rawan O Al Momani,1 Khalid K Al Momani,3 Ahmad M Al Warawrah,3 Hanan A Aljamal,1 Mansour A Alghamdi,4 Alsharif M Muhanna,3 Firas A Al-Qarqaz5,6 1Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan; 2Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan; 3Department of Dermatology, King Hussein Medical Center (KHMC), Jordan Royal Medical Services (RMS), Amman, Jordan; 4College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Internal Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan; 6Division of Dermatology, Department of Internal Medicine, King Abdullah University Hospital, Irbid, JordanCorrespondence: Laith N AL-EitanToxicology and Pharmacogenetics, Department of Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Science and Arts, Jordan University of Science and Technology, PO Box 3030, Irbid 22110, JordanTel +962-2-7201000 ext. 23464Email [email protected]: Alopecia areata (AA) is a non-cicatricial patchy hair loss on the scalp, face or other parts of the body. AA was found to be responsive to immunosuppressive therapies, a finding that supports an autoimmune basis for the disease. Several genetic studies have shown the significance of immunological factors as key genetic components in AA.Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the genetic association of 7 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within five candidate genes including TAP1, CXCL1, CXCL2, HSPA1B, and TNFα with AA susceptibility in the Jordanian Arab population.Methods: A case–control genetic association study conducted in 152 patients and 150 healthy individuals was performed using the sequenom MassARRAY system (iPLEX GOLD) to genotype the selected SNPs.Results: rs1800629 SNP of the TNFα gene was significantly associated with AA in the heterozygous and rare homozygous genotypes (P=0.022 and P=0.0079, respectively) with no linkage of the TAP1, CXCL1, CXCL2 and HSPA1B variants.Conclusion: This is the first study of its kind among the Jordanian population providing evidence of genetic association of the TNFα with AA susceptibility. Further genetic studies on Arab descent including other variants are required to clarify and strengthen the association of these genes with susceptibility to develop AA.Keywords: alopecia areata, TAP1, CXCL1, CXCL2, genetic association studies, immunological factors, Jordan
