Profile of Tumour Necrosis Factor Alpha -308 G/A Gene Polymorphism in Psoriatic Patients in Karnataka, India.

INTRODUCTION: Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) gene -308G/A polymorphism (rs1800629) are associated with psoriasis in several populations worldwide. Presently, there is no literature on the status of this polymorphism in the South Indian population.

AIM: To determine the profile of TNFα -308G/A polymorphism among psoriatic patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This case-control study involved 74 patients with Psoriasis Vulgaris (PsV) and 74 age and gender matched healthy individuals. Patients were recruited from the Department of Dermatology of R.L. Jalappa Hospital and Research Center, Tamaka, Kolar, Karnataka, India, from March 2014 to March 2016. TNFα -308G/A polymorphism was genotyped by Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method.

RESULTS: The frequency of TNFα -308A allele 7.4% among psoriatic and 8.8% among non-psoriatic individuals. The difference was not statistically significant (p=0.82).

CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that TNFα gene -308G/A polymorphism is not a significant marker for the risk of developing PsV among South Indian (Karnataka) psoriatic patients.