Association of TNF-α gene-308G/A polymorphism with essential hypertension in Han racial origin in Hunan

AIM : To investigate the association TNF-α gene-308G/A polymorphism with essential hypertension(EH). METHODS : Polymerase chain reaction and Restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP) was used to screen the TNF-α-308G/A polymorphism and the distribution feature of genotypic frequency in 246 EH patients and 208 healthy people.The association of polymorphism and EH hereditary susceptibility was analysed. RESULTS :In the EH group,the frequencies of GG,GA and AA genotypes were 85.0 %,11.8 % and 3.2 %,respectively.The frequencies of G and A allele were 90.9 % and 9.1 %,respectively.In the control group,the frequencies of GG,GA and AA genotypes were 89.4 %,10.6 % and 0,respectively.The frequencies of G and A allele were 94.7 % and 5.3 %,respectively.Compared with the control group,the frequencies of GA,AA genotypes(P = 0.028) and A allele were higher in the EH group.Compared with-308GG homozygotes,patients with the-308A allele had a 1.729-fold greater risk of developing EH,(95% confidence interval,1.056 to 2.831).The differences were statistical significance(P = 0.030). CONCLUSION : The TNF-a-308G/A polymorphism is positively associated with EH in Han racial origin in Hunan.The allele A may be a susceptibility gene of EH.