Lack of association with TNF-α-308 promoter polymorphism in patients with vitiligo

• Published in: Archives of Dermatological Research 2006-06, Vol.298 (1), p.46-49
• Main Authors: YAZICI, Ayca Cordan, ERDAL, M. Emin, KAYA, Tamer Irfan, IKIZOGLU, Guliz, SAVASOGLU, Kaan, CAMDEVIREN, Handan, TURSEN, Unlit
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Dermatology; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genotype; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Pigmentary diseases of the skin; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide - genetics; Promoter Regions, Genetic - genetics; Risk Factors; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - genetics; Vitiligo - genetics
• ISSN: 0340-3696; 1432-069X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00403-006-0664-2

Vitiligo is an acquired depigmentary disorder of the skin, characterized by incomplete penetrance, multiple susceptibility loci and genetic heterogeneity. An immunologic hypothesis is currently advanced as a possible pathogenesis of vitiligo. The cytokines have an important role in pathogenesis of autoimmunity in which tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a paracrine inhibitor of melanocytes, is especially important. Several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) have been identified in the human TNF gene promoter. The polymorphism at position -308 (TNF-308), which involves substituting G for A and designing the AA genotype, leads to a higher rate of TNF gene transcription than the wild-type GG genotype in in vitro expression studies. It has also been linked to increased susceptibility to several chronic metabolic, degenerative, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Therefore, we investigated the TNF-alpha-308 SNP in patients with vitiligo. We examined 61 patients with vitiligo. Healthy age-, ethnically- and sex-matched individuals (n = 123) served as controls. Polymerase chain reaction amplification was used for analysis of the polymorphism at position -308 in promoter of TNF-alpha gene. We found that the distribution of TNF-alpha genotypes in vitiligo patients did not differ from that in control subjects (P > 0.05). Moreover, there was no association between TNF-alpha genotypes and types of vitiligo. In conclusion, we suggest that TNF-alpha-308 SNP is not a genetic risk factor for vitiligo susceptibility.