Association of tumour necrosis factor-alpha-308 G/A promoter polymorphism with susceptibility and disease profile of rheumatoid arthritis

The objective was to analyze the possible involvement of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) -308 G/A promoter polymorphism in the susceptibility and/or the disease profile of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Egyptian patients. TNF-alpha -308 G/promoter polymorphism detection by amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) technique was carried out for 122 RA patients and 120 healthy controls. TNF-alpha -308 G allele/GG homozygous genotype were higher in patients with rheumatoid arthritis than those in control group (P < 0.001, respectively). A statistically significant association was found between the frequency of the A allele and presence of erosion (OR = 3.42, P = 0.015). No associations were found between the distribution of TNF-alpha -308 G/A alleles/genotypes and age of patients, disease duration, absence of remission, presence of deformity, clinical manifestations of the disease and presence or absence of rheumatoid factor. The positivity of rheumatoid factor was associated with occurrence of erosion (OR = 25.0, P < 0.001). The results of this study demonstrate the association of the TNF-alpha -308 G allele and GG homozygous genotype with susceptibility to RA and the A allele with the presence of erosion in the Egyptian patients.