Revista Brasileira de Reumatologia ()

Methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase, transforming growth factor-β1 and lymphotoxin-α genes polymorphisms and susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis

  • Olfat G. Shaker,
  • Amina M. Alnoury,
  • Gehan A. Hegazy,
  • Hemmat E. El Haddad,
  • Safaa Sayed,
  • Ahmed Hamdy

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbre.2016.04.002
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 56, no. 5
pp. 414 – 420

Abstract

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ABSTRACT Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is a widely prevalent autoimmune disorder with suggested genetic predisposition. Objectives: The aim of this study is to detect the pattern of genetic polymorphism of methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR C677 T and A1298 C), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1 T869 C) and lymphotoxin-α (LT-α A252G) in patients having rheumatoid arthritis and correlate these patterns to disease activity and serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), B-Cell Activating Factor (BAFF), and osteopontin. Methods: A total of 194 subjects, 90 controls and 104 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were genotyped for MTHFR C677 T and A1298 C, TGF-β1 T869 C and LT-α A252G polymorphisms using a methodology based on PCR-RFLP. Also serum levels of TNF-α, osteopontin and BAFF were measured by ELISA kits. Results: The CT genotype and T allele of MTHFR C677 T and GG genotype and G allele of LT-α A252G are associated with the risk of RA and with higher levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, TNF-α in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that there is association between MTHFR C677 T and LT-α A252G genes polymorphisms and increased risk of RA in this sample of Egyptian population.

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