Association between -238 but not -308 polymorphism of Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha)v and unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) in Chinese population.

OBJECTIVES

TNF-alpha is a critical cytokine produced by Th1 cells while altered T helper 1 (Th1)-Th2 balance is found crucial for a successful pregnancy.

STUDY

DESIGN

A cohort of 132 Southern Chinese Han RSA patients and 152 controls constituted the subjects of this study. Two functional polymorphisms -308 and -238 of TNF-alpha were studied by association analysis.

RESULTS

lack of association was found in TNF-alpha -308 SNP yet a significant difference was discovered in -238 polymorphism.

CONCLUSION

This study suggested that TNF-alpha may be a risk factor in Chinese RSA patients. However the ethnic differences may also contribute to the results.