Analysis of five single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the TNFA and LTA genes did not reveal evidence for association of these important candidate genes with IBD.
The authors have prospectively studied the secretion of TNF alpha and LT alpha in relation to polymorphisms at positions -308 and -238 in the TNF alpha gene (TNFA), and two polymorphisms in the first intron of the LT alpha gene (LTA), as well as HLA-DR in 30 patients with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and 12 healthy controls.
The study indicates that the NcoI polymorphism in the LT alpha gene can not be used as a genetic marker for the predisposition to inflammatory bowel diseases.