Tumor Necrosis Factor -308 and Lymphotoxin+252 Polymorphisms in Mexican Children with Kawasaki Disease and Coronary Aneurysms

Background and Aims: The Mexican population has a distinct capacity for the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a cytokine that plays a cardinal role in Kawasaki disease (KD), particularly in those who develop coronary aneurysms. It is important to identify, in Mexican pediatric patients, the association of the frequency of TNF. This study determined the association of TNF -308 and lymphotoxin-alpha (LTA)+252 polymorphisms in Mexican pediatric patients with KD and coronary aneurysms (CA). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, analytical study in 48 children with KD, 22 with CA. Control samples were obtained from 61 aged-matched children. We took a peripheral blood sample and extracted genomic DNA from all children participating in the study. Using restriction factor length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction (RFLP-PCR), we performed determination of TNF -308 and LTA+252. Results: There was no difference in frequency between the study groups for genotype LTA+252 (OR 0.37, 95% CI, 0.06-2, p= 0.44) or between groups for KD with or without coronary aneurysms for both polymorphisms. In subjects with KD, we did not observe the heterozygous genotype of TNF -308, the difference being significant (OR 12, 95% CI, 4.8-30.4, p= 0.0001) using the χ ² test with the continuity correction on comparison with the control group. Conclusions: Comparative analysis by group did not show a significant difference in the frequency of the alleles and genotypes between KD with CA vs. KD without CA vs. controls, for both TNF -308 and LTA+252.