Allograft Inflammatory Factor-1 Gene Polymorphisms in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Aim: Allograft inflammatory factor-1 (AIF-1) is a cytoplasmic, inflammation-responsive protein. The increased expression of AIF-1 in synovial tissues and fluid from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients has been detected. Several single-nucleotide polymorphisms have been identified in the AIF1 gene, among them three leading to changes in amino acid sequence. The aim of this study was to examine the association between AIF1 rs2259571: A>C, rs2736182: G>A, and rs13195276: C>T polymorphisms and RA. We examined 380 patients with RA and 376 control subjects. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in distribution of rs2736182 and rs2259571 genotypes and alleles between RA patients and control group. Moreover, there were no significant associations with the age of disease diagnosis, rheumatoid factor, extra-articular manifestation, and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies, whereas the active form of RA (patients with disease activity score (DAS28) > 2.4) was more frequently diagnosed in patients with rs2259571 CC genotypes compared with patients with AA genotype (p = 0.007, odds ratio = 2.30, 95% confidence interval = 1.25-4.25). Conclusion: Our results suggest that the AIF1 rs2259571 CC genotype is associated with the active form of RA.