Rs361525

rs361525 is also known as the TNF-238 SNP, and occasionally the rs361525(A) allele is referred to as 238.2 (with the more common (G) allele being 238.1). This SNP in the tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene has been linked to a wide variety of conditions:

• Breast cancer
  • A large study of over 5,000 Caucasian women found that rs361525(A) allele carriers were at somewhat elevated risk for breast cancer compared to the (G;G) genotype, with an odds ratio per allele of 1.18, CI: 1.04-1.35, p(trend)= 0.008.[PMID 17216494]
  • However, a 2009 European study of 30,000 breast cancer cases, compared to 30,000 controls, found no association, or as they put it, "persuasive evidence against an overall association between invasive breast cancer risk and (this SNP)". [PMID 19423537]

• Graft versus host disease (GVHD)
  • A study of ~100 allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients in Brazil concludes that graft versus host disease (GVHD) is about twice as frequent if either the donor or the recipient is a carrier of the rs361525(A) allele. [PMID 18021367]

• Otitis or ear infections
  • Children who are rs361525(G;G) homozygotes may be more prone to ear infections; adjusted odds ratio 2.29, p=0.03). [PMID 17908769]

• Nasal polyps
  • The rs361525(A;A) genotype was associated with increased risk for nasal polyps in a study of 82 Turkish patients. [PMID 17638785]

• Psoriasis
  • A study of 160 Polish psoriasis patients indicated that the frequency of the rs361525(A) allele was significantly increased (16.8% vs. 3.1%, p=0.000017, odds ratio 8.79, CI: 2.606-29.678), and furthermore, the onset age was lower in rs361525(A) carriers. [PMID 17553030]

• Diabetes and verbal memory
  • rs361525(A) carriers showed a slower decline of verbal memory over a period of 48 weeks in a study of elderly patients with type-2 diabetes. [PMID 17592954]

• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
  • rs361525(G;G) babies may be at higher risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) based on a relatively small number (148) of Norwegian infants studied. [PMID 18571009]

• Exfoliation glaucoma
  • A study of 204 patients with exfoliation glaucoma (XFG) concluded that rs361525 is unlikely to be a major risk factor for XFG in Caucasians. [PMID 19279689]

• Lymphoma
  • A US study [PMID 17018637] of 1,172 lymphoma patients and 982 controls looked at 57 SNPs in 36 immune function genes. Five SNPs in two cytokine genes, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and lymphotoxin-alpha, were associated with a 1.31x increase in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.06-1.63; P = 0.01) and with a 1.64x increase in the subtype known as diffuse large B cell lymphoma (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.23-2.19; P = 0.0007). The other four SNPS are listed below. The cytokine genes affect inflammatory and innate immune responses.

• • rs1800629
  • rs1799724
  • rs909253
  • rs2239704

[PMID 18949133] Association of TNF promoter polymorphisms with type 1 diabetes in the South Croatian population

[PMID 19167443] Family-based analysis of tumor necrosis factor and lymphotoxin-alpha tag polymorphisms with type 1 diabetes in the population of South Croatia

[PMID 20157068] Association of IL1A, IL1B, and TNF Gene Polymorphisms With Chronic Rhinosinusitis With and Without Nasal Polyposis: A Replication Study

[PMID 20177654] Obesity-dependent association of TNF-LTA locus with type 2 diabetes in North Indians

[PMID 20459604] Large-scale association analysis of TNF/LTA gene region polymorphisms in type 2 diabetes

[PMID 20953524] Tumor necrosis factor rs361525 (-238G>A) polymorphism contributes to hepatocellular carcinoma susceptibility

[PMID 21080879] A study of TNF-alpha-238 and -308 polymorphisms with different outcomes of persistent hepatitis B virus infection in China

[PMID 21447951] Association of Inflammation Genes with Alcohol Dependence/Abuse: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis

[PMID 21790707] TUMOUR NECROSIS FACTOR (TNF) GENE POLYMORPHISM AND DISEASE PREVALENCE

[PMID 21904873] Association of tumor necrosis factor-? (TNF-?) promoter polymorphisms with overweight/obesity in a Korean population

[PMID 21865054] Age- and gender-specific epistasis between ADA and TNF-? influences human life-expectancy