Association of interferon gamma polymorphism with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in the korean population.

In this study, we investigated whether genetic polymorphisms of the interferon gamma (IFNG) gene were associated with the susceptibility of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) in the Korean population. To observe the association between the IFNG gene and the susceptibility of OPLL, we genotyped 135 OPLL patients and 222 control subjects for a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP, rs2430561) and a microsatellite (CA(n) repeats, rs3138557) located in the first intron of the IFNG gene, using the direct sequencing and gene scan method. The numbers of microsatellites (CA(13) and CA(15)) were significantly changed in the OPLL patients. A combined analysis of the genotype of rs2430561 and the number of microsatellites revealed that the OPLL was associated with frequencies of CA(13)-AA, CA(15)-AA and CA(15)-AT. Our results suggest that the IFNG gene may be one of the factors determining the OPLL in the Korean population. However, larger collaborative and biological studies are needed to confirm these results.