TNF receptor I polymorphism is associated with persistent palindromic rheumatism.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the association between tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha), TNF receptor superfamily member 1A (TNFRSF1A, also known as TNFRI), TNFRSF1B (TNFRII), and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the susceptibility to persistent palindromic rheumatism (PR).

METHODS

Fifty-six unrelated patients with persistent PR and 100 unrelated healthy controls were genotyped for TNFalpha -308G/A, -238G/A, and +488G/A, TNFRSF1A -609G/T and +36A/G, TNFRSF1B +676T/G and +1663G/A, and IL-1beta -511C/T, -31T/C, and +3954C/T using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTS

The TNFRSF1A +36G allele [odds ratio (OR) = 3.94, p = 0.003, corrected p (p(c)) = 0.03] and the TNFRSF1A +36AG genotype (OR = 4.81, p = 0.002, p(c) = 0.04) were significantly associated with persistent PR. The frequency of TNFRSF1B +676T/+1663A was increased in PR patients (OR = 2.12, p = 0.01), but failed to reach statistical significance after Bonferroni correction. No correlation was observed between persistent PR and TNFalpha, TNFRSF1A -609G/T, or IL-1beta SNPs.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study provide evidence of an association between persistent PR and SNPs within the TNFRSF1A gene, and suggest that TNFRI is involved in the aetiopathogenesis of PR.