OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between tumor necrosis factor-beta (TNF-beta) gene polymorphisms and coronary heart disease (CHD).

METHODSPolymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and sequence specific primer-PCR (PCR-SSP) were used for the detection of TNF-beta genotype in 210 patients with CHD and 186 healthy controls. The serum TNF-beta levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSThe frequencies of CC, CA and AA genotypes of C804A in patients and controls were 25.7% and 37.1%, 49.5% and 45.7%, 24.8% and 17.2%, respectively; there were statistically significant differences in the distributions of the genotypes (P<0.05) and the allele frequencies (P<0.05) between the two groups; the risk of suffering from CHD in those of AA and CA genotypes was 1.704 times that in those of CC genotype (OR=1.704, 95%CI: 1.109-2.617). However, there was no significant difference in the distribution of the genotype of G252A between the patients and controls, though significant difference was seen between the subgroups of the CHD group. The serum TNF-beta and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels of the patients were significantly higher than those of the controls (P<0.05); however, there were no significant differences in regard to different TNF-beta genotypes among the patients and controls respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at position 804 in the exon 3 of TNF-beta gene is associated with CHD and the allele A may be a risk factor for CHD in Chinese. The polymorphism of G252A may not play an important role in the pathogenesis of CHD.