Relationship of TNFα-308A/G polymorphism with primary nephrotic syndrome

Objective To investigate the clinicopathological relationship of TNFα-308A/G polymorphism with primary nephrotic syndrome (PNS), and the causes of PNS from gene level.Methods The genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment-length polymorphism to find the regularity of distribution of TNFα-308A/G polymorphism in normal control subjects and the patients with PNS. At the same time, general clinic indexes and patients' pathologic information were collected to make control study and clinicopathologic analysis.Results TNFα-308A/G including 3 genotypes (AA, AG and GG) and 2 allele genes (A or G) were found in both two groups. There were no significant differences in genotypes distribution, and allele frequency between PNS and normal control subjects (P>0.05). No correlation was found in the -308A/G polymorphism of TNFα with sex, age, Alb, CHOL, TG, BUN, SCr and CRP levels. The albuminuria level of GG genotype was lower than that of AG or AA genotypes (P<0.05), and the TNFα level of AA genotype was higher than that of AG or GG genotypes (P<0.05). The pathologic data showed that the AA genotype frequency was higher than GG+AG genotype frequency in patients with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (P<0.05). The effective rate of PNS with GG genotype and G allele both was higher than that of the other genotypes (P<0.05).Conclusions TNFα-308A/G polymorphism was associated with the TNFα level, and may be associated with severe albuminuria and minimal change nephrotic syndrome and the curative effect of hormone. However, this polymorphism was not associated with susceptibility to PNS.