Association of polymorphism in the VEGFA gene 3'-UTR +936T/C with susceptibility to biliary atresia in a Southern Chinese Han population.

BACKGROUND: Biliary atresia (BA) is a neonatal disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the bile ducts and progressive aggravation of jaundice, but with a poor prognosis and high mortality. The etiology of BA is still uncertain which may be related to gene defect, virus infection, immune disorder, gene polymorphism. As a proinflammatory cytokine, VEGFA gene polymorphism (rs3025039) has been shown to be related to the pathogenesis of BA in Taiwanese population.

METHODS: We investigated the association between VEGFA gene polymorphism (rs3025039) and BA susceptibility using the largest case-control cohort, totaling with 506 BA patients and 1473 healthy controls in a Southern Chinese Han population. VEGFA gene polymorphism (rs3025039) was genotyped using the MassARRAY iPLEX Gold system (Sequenom). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to access the association between the VEGFA gene polymorphism (rs3025039) and BA risk.

RESULTS: No significant association was found between the VEGFA gene polymorphism (rs3025039) and BA risk in the overall analysis.

CONCLUSION: These results suggest that VEGFA gene polymorphism (rs3025039) may not be associated with the risk of BA in the Southern Chinese Han population.