Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 -2518 A/G single nucleotide polymorphism in Chinese Han patients with ocular Behçet's disease.

Recent studies in Caucasian uveitis patients have shown an association with the -2518 A/G polymorphism of the monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 gene. It is unknown whether this polymorphism is also associated with ocular Behçet's disease (BD) in Chinese populations. The aim of the current study was therefore to investigate the possible involvement of MCP-1 in the susceptibility to ocular BD in Chinese Han individuals. A case control association study was performed in 296 ocular BD patients and 319 geographically and age-matched healthy controls using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed a decreased frequency of the homozygous AA genotype and an increased frequency of AG genotype of the MCP-1 -2518 polymorphism in ocular BD patients compared with healthy controls, when adjusted for gender (p = 0.048, p = 0.028, respectively). However, when segregated on the basis of several clinical findings, no any association was found between this polymorphism and ocular BD. In conclusion, the present study suggests that the MCP-1 -2518 AA genotype seems to display a protective association with ocular BD, whereas the -2518 AG genotype might be a susceptible factor for ocular BD in the Chinese Han population.