Analysis of tumor necrosis factor-α−308 and lymphotoxin-α+252 gene polymorphisms in Taiwanese patients with periodontitis

Background/purposePolymorphisms in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and lymphotoxin (LT)-α have been associated with an increased severity of periodontitis. Our aims were to evaluate the association between TNF-α−308 and LT-α+252 gene polymorphisms and periodontitis.Materials and methodsSix hundred and twenty patients were selected, including 90 with aggressive periodontitis (AgP), 369 with chronic periodontitis (CP), and 161 healthy controls (HCs). Gene polymorphisms were analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique.ResultsOur results indicated: (1) the distribution of TNF-α−308 genotype was not significantly different among the three groups (CP, AgP, and HC); (2) the distribution of the frequency of LT-α+252 genotype was significantly different between the CP and HC groups (P = 0.039), and between the AgP and CP groups (P = 0.002), but did not differ between the AgP and HC groups (P = 0.376); and (3) no significant association between polymorphisms in TNF-α−308 or LT+252genes and CP or AgP was found using multivariate logistic regression analysis.ConclusionNo association was observed between periodontitis (CP or AgP) and TNF-α−308 and LT-α+252 gene polymorphisms in Taiwanese patients.