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In an International Lymphoma Epidemiology Consortium pooled analysis, polymorphisms in 2 immune-system-related genes, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-10 (IL10), were associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) risk. Here, 8,847 participants were added to previous data (patients diagnosed from 1989 to 2005 in 14 case-control studies; 7,999 cases, 8,452 controls) for testing of polymorphisms in the TNF –308G>A (rs1800629), lymphotoxin-α (LTA) 252A>G (rs909253), IL10 –3575T>A (rs1800890, rs1800896), and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing 2 (NOD2) 3020insC (rs2066847) genes. Odds ratios were estimated for non-Hispanic whites and several ethnic subgroups using 2-sided tests. Consistent with previous findings, odds ratios were increased for “new” participant TNF –308A carriers (NHL: per-allele odds ratio (ORallelic) = 1.10, Ptrend = 0.001; diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL): ORallelic = 1.23, Ptrend = 0.004). In the combined population, odds ratios were increased for TNF –308A carriers (NHL: ORallelic = 1.13, Ptrend = 0.0001; DLBCL: ORallelic = 1.25, Ptrend = 3.7 × 10−6; marginal zone lymphoma: ORallelic = 1.35, Ptrend = 0.004) and LTA 252G carriers (DLBCL: ORallelic = 1.12, Ptrend = 0.006; mycosis fungoides: ORallelic = 1.44, Ptrend = 0.015). The LTA 252A>G/TNF –308G>A haplotype containing the LTA/TNF variant alleles was strongly associated with DLBCL (P = 2.9 × 10−8). Results suggested associations between IL10 –3575T>A and DLBCL (Ptrend = 0.02) and IL10 –1082A>G and mantle cell lymphoma (Ptrend = 0.04). These findings strengthen previous results for DLBCL and the LTA 252A>G/TNF –308A locus and provide robust evidence that these TNF/LTA gene variants, or others in linkage disequilibrium, are involved in NHL etiology.

Genetic variations in human leukocyte antigens (HLA) are critical in host responses to infections, transplantation, and immunological diseases. We previously identified associations with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and the HLA-DRB1*01:01 allele and extended ancestral haplotype (AH) 8.1 (HLA-A*01-B*08-DR*03-TNF-308A). To illuminate how HLA alleles and haplotypes may influence NHL etiology, we examined potential interactions between HLA-DRB1*01:01 and AH 8.1, and a wide range of NHL risk factors among 685 NHL cases and 646 controls from a United States population-based case-control study. We calculated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals by HLA allele or haplotype status, adjusted for sex, age, race and study center for NHL and two major subtypes using polychotomous unconditional logistic regression models. The previously reported elevation in NHL risk associated with exposures to termite treatment and polychlorinated biphenyls were restricted to individuals who did not possess HLA-DRB1*01:01. Previous associations for NHL and DLBCL with decreased sun exposure, higher BMI, and autoimmune conditions were statistically significant only among those with AH 8.1, and null among those without AH 8.1. Our results suggest that NHL risk factors vary in their association based on HLA-DRB1*01:01 and AH 8.1 status. Our results further suggest that certain NHL risk factors may act through a common mechanism to alter NHL risk. Finally, control participants with either HLA-DRB1*01:01 or AH 8.1 reported having a family history of NHL twice as likely as those who did not have either allele or haplotype, providing the first empirical evidence that HLA associations may explain some of the well-established relationship between family history and NHL risk.

Rationale: Tumor necrosis factor is a proinflammatory cytokine found in increased concentrations in asthmatic airways. The TNF-α (TNF) and lymphotoxin-α (LTA) genes belong to the TNF gene superfamily located within the human major histocompatibility complex on chromosome 6p in a region repeatedly linked to asthma. The TNF position –308 and LTA NcoI polymorphisms are believed to influence TNF transcription and secretion, respectively. Objectives: This study sought to determine whether polymorphisms in TNF or LTA, or in TNF-LTA haplotypes, are associated with asthma and asthma phenotypes. Methods: We genotyped the TNF –308 and LTA NcoI polymorphisms, and two other haplotype-tagging polymorphisms in the TNF and LTA genes, in 708 children with mild to moderate asthma enrolled in the Childhood Asthma Management Program and in their parents. Using an extension of the family-based association tests in the PBAT program, each polymorphism was tested for association with asthma, age at onset of asthma, and time series data on baseline FEV1 % predicted, postbronchodilator FEV1 % predicted, body mass index, and log of PC20. Measurements and Main Results: Although no associations were found for the individual single-nucleotide polymorphisms, the haplotype analysis found the LTA NcoI_G/LTA 4371T/TNF –308G/TNF 1078G haplotype to be associated with asthma and with all five phenotype groups. Conclusions: We conclude that it is unlikely that the TNF –308 or LTA NcoI polymorphisms influence asthma susceptibility individually, but that this haplotype of variants may be functional or may be in linkage disequilibrium with other functional single-nucleotide polymorphisms.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and lymphotoxin alpha (LTA) are immunomodulators that have been hypothesized to contribute to susceptibility to type 1 diabetes (T1D). Several polymorphisms in the TNF and LTA loci have been extensively studied for T1D association, with conflicting reports. In this study, we examined two TNF variants and one LTA variant for T1D association in 283 Caucasian, multiplex T1D families, for which complete HLA genotyping data are available. Initially, association with T1D was seen for LTA A1069G (intron A) (p = 0.011) {rs909253} and TNF G(-308)A (p< 1x 10−5) {rs1800629}, but no association was observed for TNF G(-238)A {rs361525}. After adjusting the data for linkage disequilibrium (LD) with DRB1-DQB1 haplotypes, however, only TNF G(-238)A showed significant association with T1D (p< 0.006). When HLA-DR3 haplotypes were examined, the A allele of TNF G(-238)A was significantly overtransmitted to affected offspring (p< 0.009). Including HLA-B data in the analysis revealed that TNF (-238)A is present exclusively on DR3 haplotypes that also carry HLA-B18. Transmission proportion of B18-DR3 haplotypes did not differ between those with TNF (-238)A and those with TNF (-238)G. Thus, variation at TNF does not affect the T1D risk for B18-DR3 haplotypes, and the apparent association of TNF(-238)A with T1D may simply reflect its presence on a high-risk haplotype.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a cancer closely associated with immune function, and the TNF G-308A promotor polymorphism, which influences immune function and regulation, was recently reported by the InterLymph Consortium to be associated with NHL risk. TNF signaling activates the NF-κB canonical pathway, leading to transcriptional activation of multiple genes that influence inflammation and immune response. We hypothesized that in addition to TNF signaling, common genetic variation in genes from the NF-κB canonical pathway may affect risk of NHL. We genotyped 54 SNPs within TNF, LTA, and nine NF-κB genes from the canonical pathway (TNFRSF1A, TRADD, TRAF2, TRAF5, RIPK1, CHUK, IKBKB, NFKB1, REL) in a clinic-based study of 441 incident cases and 475 frequency matched controls. Tagging SNPs were selected from HapMap, supplemented by putative functional SNPs for LTA/TNF. We used principal components and haplo.stats to model gene level associations, and logistic regression to model SNP level associations. Compared to the wildtype (GG), the AA genotype for the TNF promoter polymorphism G-308A (rs1800629) was associated with increased risk of NHL (OR=2.14, 95% CI 0.94-4.85), while the GA genotype was not (OR=1.00, 95% CI 0.74-1.34). This association was similar for follicular lymphoma and DLBCL. A previously reported TNF/LTA haplotype was also associated with NHL risk. In gene-level analysis of the NF-κB pathway, only NFKB1 showed a statistically significant association with NHL (p=0.049), and one NFKB1 tagSNP (rs4648022) was associated with NHL risk overall (ordinal OR= 0.59, 95% CI 0.41-0.84; p-trend=0.0037), and for each of the common subtypes. In conclusion, we provide additional evidence for the role of genetic variation in TNF and LTA SNPs and haplotypes with risk of NHL, and we also provide some of the first preliminary evidence for an association of genetic variation in NFKB1, a downstream target of TNF signaling, with risk of NHL.

Background

Recent studies have suggested the importance of HLA genes in determining immune responses following rubella vaccine. The telomeric class III region of the HLA complex harbors several genes, including lymphotoxin alpha (LTA), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and leukocyte specific transcript -1 (LST1) genes, located between the class I B and class II DRB1 loci. Apart from HLA, little is known about the effect of this extended genetic region on HLA haplotypic backgrounds as applied to immune responses.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We examined the association between immune responses and extended class I-class II-class III haplotypes among 714 healthy children after two doses of rubella vaccination. These extended haplotypes were then compared to the HLA-only haplotypes. The most significant association was observed between haplotypes extending across the HLA class I region, ten-SNP haplotypes, and the HLA class II region (i.e. A-C-B-LTA-TNF-LST1-DRB1-DQA1-DQB1-DPA1-DPB1) and rubella-specific antibodies (global p-value of 0.03). Associations were found between both extended A*02-C*03-B*15-AAAACGGGGC-DRB1*04-DQA1*03-DQB1*03-DPA1*01-DPB1*04 (p = 0.002) and HLA-only A*02-C*03-B*15-DRB1*04-DQA1*03-DQB1*03-DPA1*01-DPB1*04 haplotypes (p = 0.009) and higher levels of rubella antibodies. The class II HLA-only haplotype DRB1*13-DQA1*01-DQB1*06-DPA1*01-DPB1*04 (p = 0.04) lacking LTA-TNF-LST1 SNPs was associated with lower rubella antibody responses. Similarly, the class I-class II HLA-only A*01-C*07-B*08-DRB1*03-DQA1*05-DQB1*02-DPA1*01-DPB1*04 haplotype was associated with increased TNF-α secretion levels (p = 0.009). In contrast, the extended AAAACGGGGC-DRB1*01-DQA1*01-DQB1*05-DPA1*01-DPB1*04 (p = 0.01) haplotype was found to trend with decreased rubella-specific IL-6 secretion levels.

Conclusions/Significance

These data suggest the importance of examining both HLA genes and genes in the class III region as part of the extended haplotypes useful in understanding genomic drivers regulating immune responses to rubella vaccine.

Objective

To conduct a case–control study to investigate whether there are independent tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) or lymphotoxin α (LTα) haplotype associations with SLE or with any of the major serological subsets of SLE.

Methods

157 patients with SLE were genotyped for HLA‐DRB1, HLA‐DQB1, TNFα, and LTα alleles by polymerase chain reaction and compared with 245 normal white controls. For TNFα, six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at positions −1031, −863, −857, −308, −238, and +488 and for LTα three SNPs at positions +720, +365, and +249 were studied to assign six TNFα haplotypes (TNF1‐6) and four LTα haplotypes (LTA1‐4). All SLE patients had full serological profiles on serial samples.

Results

The most significant association with SLE overall was with HLA‐DR3 (p<0.001; odds ratio (OR) = 2.5 (95% confidence interval, 1.6 to 3.8)) and the extended haplotype HLA‐DQB1*0201;DRB1*0301;TNF2;LTA2 (p<0.001; OR = 2.3 (1.4 to 3.7)). Associations were strongest in the anti‐La positive group (13%) of SLE patients (HLA‐DR3, OR = 71 (9 to 539); HLA‐DQB1*0201, OR = 35 (5 to 267); TNF2, OR = 10 (2.8 to 36), and LTA2, OR = 4.9 (1.1 to 21)). There was an increase in the HLA‐DR2 associated extended haplotype (HLA‐DQB1*0602;DRB1*1501;TNF1;LTA1) in patients with anti‐Ro in the absence of anti‐La (p<0.005; OR = 3.9 (1.5 to 10)). The HLA‐DR7 extended haplotype (HLA‐DQB1*0303; DRB1*0701/2; TNF5;LTA3) was decreased in SLE overall (p<0.02; OR = 0.2 (0.05 to 0.8)).

Conclusions

The strongest association in this predominantly white population with SLE was between HLA‐DR3 and anti‐La, which seemed to account for any associations with TNFα alleles on an extended DR3 haplotype.

Background

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) has been reported to be associated with autoimmune and pro-inflammatory response, and genetic polymorphisms of candidate genes involved in autoimmune and pro-inflammatory response may influence the susceptibility to NHL. To evaluate the role of such genetic variations in risk of NHL, we conducted a case-control study of 514 NHL patients and 557 cancer-free controls in a Chinese population.

Method

We used the Taqman assay to genotype six potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in six previously reported inflammation and immune-related genes (TNF rs1799964T>C, LTA rs1800683G>A, IL-10 rs1800872T>G, LEP rs2167270G>A, LEPR rs1327118C>G, TNFAIP8 rs1045241C>T). Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

Results

We observed a significantly increased risk of NHL associated with the TNFAIP8 rs1045241C>T polymorphism (adjusted OR = 3.03; 95% CI = 1.68–5.45 for TT vs. CC and adjusted OR = 2.03; 95% CI = 1.53–2.69 for CT/TT vs. CC). The risk associated with the T allele was more evident in subgroups of 40–60 year-old, non-smokers or light-smokers (less than 25 pack-years), and subjects with normal weight or overweight. Risk for both B and T cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma was elevated for CT/TT genotypes (adjusted OR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.41–2.70 for B cell NHL and adjusted OR = 2.22, 95% CI = 1.49–3.30 for T cell NHL), particularly for DLBCL (adjusted OR = 2.01, 95%CI = 1.41–2.85) and FL (adjusted OR = 2.53, 95% CI = 1.17–5.45). These risks were not observed for variant genotypes of other five SNPs compared with their common homozygous genotypes.

Conclusions

The polymorphism of TNFAIP8 rs1045241C>T may contribute to NHL susceptibility in a Chinese population. Further large-scale and well-designed studies are needed to confirm these results.

Lymphotoxin-α (LTA) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays an important role in the immune system and local inflammatory response. LTA is expressed in atherosclerotic plaques and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (CHD). Polymorphisms in the gene encoding lymphotoxin-α (LTA) on Chromosome 6p21 have been associated with susceptibility to CHD, but results in different studies appear to be conflicting. We examined the association of seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the LTA gene, and their related haplotypes, with risk of myocardial infarction (MI) in the International Study of Infarct Survival (ISIS) case-control study involving 6,928 non-fatal MI cases and 2,712 unrelated controls. The seven SNPs (including the rs909253 and rs1041981 SNPs previously implicated in the risk of CHD) were in strong linkage disequilibrium with each other and contributed to six common haplotypes. Some of the haplotypes for LTA were associated with higher plasma concentrations of C-reactive protein (p = 0.004) and lower concentrations of albumin (p = 0.023). However, none of the SNPs or related haplotypes were significantly associated with risk of MI. The results of the ISIS study were considered in the context of six previously published studies that had assessed this association, and this meta-analysis found no significant association with CHD risk using a recessive model and only a modest association using a dominant model (with narrow confidence intervals around these risk estimates). Overall, these studies provide reliable evidence that these common polymorphisms for the LTA gene are not strongly associated with susceptibility to coronary disease.

Synopsis

Lymphotoxin-α gene (LTA) encodes a cytokine involved in the immune system that has been linked with risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). In one of the first genome-wide association studies, a Japanese group reported that polymorphisms for the LTA gene were associated with a 1.8-fold higher risk of CHD. The authors of this current paper examined associations of several polymorphisms for the LTA gene with risk of CHD in a case-control study of 6,928 heart attack survivors and 2,712 unrelated controls in the United Kingdom. None of the polymorphisms for LTA (including those examined in the original Japanese study) were associated with CHD risk. Moreover, a meta-analysis of all published studies found no significant association of LTA with CHD risk. These findings emphasize the need for large-scale studies to have sufficient power to detect associations of genetic variants with CHD risk and the need for replication of any such associations in independent studies of even larger size.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and lymphotoxin-α (LTA) are cytokines with a wide range of inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease characterized by destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic β cells. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association of polymorphisms in the TNF/LTA gene region with susceptibility to type 1 diabetes. We investigated 11 TNF/LTA tag polymorphisms, designed to capture the majority of common variation in the region, in 160 trio families from South Croatia. We observed overtransmission of alleles from parents to affected child at five variants: (rs909253, allele C, p = 1.2×10−4; rs1041981, allele A, p = 1.1×10−4; rs1800629 (G-308A), allele A, p = 1.2×10−4; rs361525(G-238A), allele G, p = 8.2×10−3 and rs3093668, allele G, p = 0.014). We also identified overtransmission of the rs 1800629(G-308A)-rs361525(G-238A) A-G haplotype, p = 2.384×10−5. The present study found an association of the TNF/LTA gene region with type 1 diabetes. A careful assessment of TNF/LTA variants adjusted for linkage disequilibrium with HLA loci is needed to further clarify the role of these genes in type 1 diabetes susceptibility in the population of South Croatia.

Background

The TNF/LTA locus has been a long-standing T2D candidate gene. Several studies have examined association of TNF/LTA SNPs with T2D but the majority have been small-scale and produced no convincing evidence of association. The purpose of this study is to examine T2D association of tag SNPs in the TNF/LTA region capturing the majority of common variation in a large-scale sample set of UK/Irish origin.

Methods

This study comprised a case-control (1520 cases and 2570 control samples) and a family-based component (423 parent-offspring trios). Eleven tag SNPs (rs928815, rs909253, rs746868, rs1041981 (T60N), rs1800750, rs1800629 (G-308A), rs361525 (G-238A), rs3093662, rs3093664, rs3093665, and rs3093668) were selected across the TNF/LTA locus and genotyped using a fluorescence-based competitive allele specific assay. Quality control of the obtained genotypes was performed prior to single- and multi-point association analyses under the additive model.

Results

We did not find any consistent SNP associations with T2D in the case-control or family-based datasets.

Conclusions

The present study, designed to analyse a set of tag SNPs specifically selected to capture the majority of common variation in the TNF/LTA gene region, found no robust evidence for association with T2D. To investigate the presence of smaller effects of TNF/LTA gene variation with T2D, a large-scale meta-analysis will be required.

Background

A promoter polymorphism in the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) (TNF G-308A) is associated with increased non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) risk. The protein product, TNF-α, activates the nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-κB) transcription factor, and is critical for inflammatory and apoptotic responses in cancer progression. We hypothesized that the TNF and NF-κB pathways are important for NHL and that gene variations across the pathways may alter NHL risk.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We genotyped 500 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 48 candidate gene regions (defined as 20 kb 5′, 10 kb 3′) in the TNF and TNF receptor superfamilies and the NF-κB and related transcription factors, in 1946 NHL cases and 1808 controls pooled from three independent population-based case-control studies. We obtaineded a gene region-level summary of association by computing the minimum p-value (“minP test”). We used logistic regression to compute odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for NHL and four major NHL subtypes in relation to SNP genotypes and haplotypes. For NHL, the tail strength statistic supported an overall relationship between the TNF/NF-κB pathway and NHL (p = 0.02). We confirmed the association between TNF/LTA on chromosome 6p21.3 with NHL and found the LTA rs2844484 SNP most significantly and specifically associated with the major subtype, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (p-trend = 0.001). We also implicated for the first time, variants in NFKBIL1 on chromosome 6p21.3, associated with NHL. Other gene regions identified as statistically significantly associated with NHL included FAS, IRF4, TNFSF13B, TANK, TNFSF7 and TNFRSF13C. Accordingly, the single most significant SNPs associated with NHL were FAS rs4934436 (p-trend = 0.0024), IRF4 rs12211228 (p-trend = 0.0026), TNFSF13B rs2582869 (p-trend = 0.0055), TANK rs1921310 (p-trend = 0.0025), TNFSF7 rs16994592 (p-trend = 0.0024), and TNFRSF13C rs6002551 (p-trend = 0.0074). All associations were consistent in each study with no apparent specificity for NHL subtype.

Conclusions/Significance

Our results provide consistent evidence that variation in the TNF superfamily of genes and specifically within chromosome 6p21.3 impacts lymphomagenesis. Further characterization of these susceptibility loci and identification of functional variants are warranted.

Genetic variation in the 6p21 chromosomal region, including human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), has been linked to both etiology and clinical outcomes of lymphomas. We estimated the effects of HLA class I (A, B, and C), class II DRB1 alleles, and the ancestral haplotype (AH) 8.1 (HLAA*01-B*08-DRB1*03-TNF-308A) on overall survival (OS) among patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma (FL) in a population-based study of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. During a median followup of 89 months, 31% (52 of 166) DLBCL and 28% (46 of 165) FL patients died. Using multivariate Cox regression models, we observed statistically significant associations between genetic variants and survival: HLA-Cw*07:01 was associated with poorer OS among DLBCL patients (Hazard ratio [HR] = 1.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01–3.05); HLA-A*01:01 was associated with poorer OS (HR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.24–4.01), and HLA-DRB1*13 (HR = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.02–0.90) and HLA-B Bw4 (HR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.20–0.63) with better OS among FL patients. These results support a role for HLA in the prognosis of DLBCL and FL and represent a promising class of prognostic factors that warrants further evaluation.

Summary

Germline mutations in complement genes have been associated with susceptibility to infections and autoimmune diseases, conditions that are associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) risk. To test the hypothesis that common genetic variation in complement genes affect risk of NHL, we genotyped 167 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 31 genes in 441 NHL cases and 475 controls. Principal components (PC) and haplotype analyses were used for gene-level tests of NHL risk, while individual SNPs were modeled as having a log-additive effect. In gene level PC analyses, C2 (p=0.023), C5 (p=0.0032) and C9 (p=0.020) were associated with NHL risk; haplotype analyses showed similar results, as well as a haplotype association for C7 (p=0.046). When all 4 genes were considered simultaneously, only C5 and C9 remained significant (p<0.05). In SNP level results from these genes, 10 SNPs had a p<0.05. However, after correcting for multiple testing, only the C5 SNPs rs7026551 (q=0.015; OR=1.54, 95% CI 1.21-1.95) and rs2416810 (q=0.015; OR=1.57; 95% CI 1.22-2.01), and the C9 SNP rs187875 (q=0.015; OR=0.68; 95% 0.56-0.84) remained noteworthy. Associations were similar for the common NHL subtypes. In summary, we provide evidence for a role of genetic variation in complement genes, particularly C5 and C9, and NHL risk.

Chromosomal translocations are the hallmark genetic aberration in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), with specific translocations often selectively associated with specific NHL subtypes. Because many NHL-associated translocations involve cell cycle, apoptosis, and lymphocyte development regulatory genes, we evaluated NHL risk associated with common genetic variation in 20 candidate genes in these pathways. Genotyping of 203 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was conducted in 1946 NHL cases and 1808 controls pooled from three independent population-based case-control studies. We used logistic regression to compute odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for NHL and four major NHL subtypes in relation to tag SNP genotypes and haplotypes. We observed the most striking associations for tag SNPs in the pro-apoptotic gene BCL2L11 (BIM) and BCL7A, which is involved in a rare NHL-associated translocation. Variants in BCL2L11 were strongly related to follicular lymphoma only, particularly rs3789068 (ORAG=1.41, 95%CI 1.10–1.81; ORGG=1.65, 95%CI 1.25–2.19; p-trend=0.0004). Variants in BCL7A were strongly related to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma only, particularly rs1880030 (ORAG=1.34, 95%CI 1.08–1.68; ORAA=1.60, 95%CI 1.22–2.08; p-trend=0.0004). The associations for both variants were similar in all three studies and supported by haplotype analyses. We also observed notable associations for variants in BCL6, CCND1, and MYC. Our results support the role of common genetic variation in cell cycle, apoptosis, and lymphocyte development regulatory genes in lymphomagenesis, and suggest that effects may vary by NHL subtype. Replication of our findings and further study to identify functional SNPs are warranted.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a hematological malignancy of the immune system, and, as with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases (ADs), is influenced by genetic variation in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Persons with a history of specific ADs also have increased risk of NHL. As the coexistence of ADs and NHL could be caused by factors common to both diseases, here we examined whether some of the associated genetic signals are shared. Overlapping risk loci for NHL subytpes and several ADs were explored using data from genome-wide association studies. Several common genomic regions and susceptibility loci were identified suggesting a potential shared genetic background. Two independent MHC regions showed the main overlap, with several alleles in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) Class II region exhibiting an opposite risk effect for follicular lymphoma and type I diabetes. These results support continued investigation to further elucidate the relationship between lymphoma and autoimmune diseases.

Background

Several candidate genes on the short arm of chromosome 6 including the HLA locus, TNF, LTA and AGER could be associated with late diabetic complications. The aim of our study was therefore to explore whether polymorphisms (TNF -308 G→A, LTA T60N C→A and AGER -374 T→A) in these genes alone or together (as haplotypes) increased the risk for diabetic complications.

Methodology/Principal Findings

The studied polymorphisms were genotyped in 742 type 1 and 2957 type 2 diabetic patients as well as in 206 non-diabetic control subjects. The Haploview program was used to analyze putative linkage disequilibrium between studied polymorphisms. The TNF, LTA and AGER polymorphisms were associated with the HLA-DQB1 risk genotypes. The AGER -374 A allele was more common in type 1 diabetic patients with than without diabetic nephropathy (31.2 vs. 28.4%, p = 0.007). In a logistic regression analysis, the LTA but not the AGER polymorphism was associated with diabetic nephropathy (OR 2.55[1.11–5.86], p = 0.03). The AGER -374 A allele was associated with increased risk of sight threatening retinopathy in type 2 diabetic patients (1.65[1.11–2.45], p = 0.01) and also with increased risk for macrovascular disease in type 1 diabetic patients (OR 2.05[1.19–3.54], p = 0.01), but with decreased risk for macrovascular disease in type 2 diabetic patients (OR 0.66[0.49–0.90], p = 0.009). The TNF A allele was associated with increased risk for macrovascular complications in type 2 (OR 1.53 [1.04–2.25], p = 0.03, but not in type 1 diabetic patients.

Conclusions/Significance

The association between diabetic complications and LTA, TNF and AGER polymorphisms is complex, with partly different alleles conferring susceptibility in type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients. We can not exclude the possibility that the genes are part of a large haplotype block that also includes HLA-DQB1 risk genotypes.

The tumour necrosis factor (TNF) gene and other genes flanking it in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class III region are potentially important mediators of both immunity and pathogenesis of malaria. We investigated the association of severe malaria with eleven haplotype tagging-polymorphisms for eleven MHC class III candidate genes, including TNF, lymphotoxin alpha (LTA), allograft inflammatory factor 1 (AIF1), and HLA-B associated transcript 2 (BAT2). An analysis of 2162 case-controls demonstrated the first evidence of association between a BAT2 polymorphism (rs1046089) and severe malaria.

Background

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and TNF receptor superfamily (TNFR)-mediated immune response play an essential role in the pathogenesis of severe sepsis. Studies examining associations of TNF and lymphotoxin-α (LTA) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with severe sepsis have produced conflicting results. The objective of this study was to investigate whether genetic variation in TNF, LTA, TNFRSF1A and TNFRSF1B was associated with susceptibility to or death from severe sepsis in Chinese Han population.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Ten SNPs in TNF, LTA, TNFRSF1A and TNFRSF1B were genotyped in samples of patients with severe sepsis (n = 432), sepsis (n = 384) and healthy controls (n = 624). Our results showed that rs1800629, a SNP in the promoter region of TNF, was significantly associated with risk for severe sepsis. The minor allele frequency of rs1800629 was significantly higher in severe sepsis patients than that in both healthy controls (Padj = 0.00046, odds ratio (OR)adj = 1.92) and sepsis patients (Padj = 0.002, ORadj = 1.56). Further, we investigated the correlation between rs1800629 genotypes and TNF-α concentrations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of healthy volunteers exposed to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) ex vivo, and the association between rs1800629 and TNF-α serum levels in severe sepsis patients. After exposure to LPS, the TNF-α concentration in culture supernatants of PBMCs was significantly higher in the subjects with AA+AG genotypes than that with GG genotype (P = 0.007). Moreover, in patients with severe sepsis, individuals with AA+AG genotypes had significantly higher TNF-α serum concentrations than those with GG genotype (Padj = 0.02). However, there were no significant associations between SNPs in the four candidate genes and 30 day mortality for patients with severe sepsis.

Conclusions/Significance

Our findings suggested that the functional TNF gene SNP rs1800629 was strongly associated with susceptibility to severe sepsis, but not with lethality in Chinese Han population.

We conducted a population-based case-control study in Connecticut women to test the hypothesis that genetic variations in Th1 and Th2 cytokine genes may modify the association between blood transfusion and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Compared with women without blood transfusion, women with a history of transfusion had an increased risk of NHL if they carried IL10RA (rs9610) GG genotype [odds ratio (OR) = 1.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1–3.2] or TNF (rs1800629) AG/AA genotypes (OR = 1.6, 95% CI: 0.9–2.7). We also found women with a history of transfusion had a decreased risk of NHL if they carried IL10RA (rs9610) AG/AA genotypes (OR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.4–0.9) or TNF (rs1800629) GG genotype (OR = 0.7, 95% CI: 0.5–1.0). A similar pattern was also observed for B-cell lymphoma but not for T-cell lymphoma. Statistically significant interactions with blood transfusion were observed for IL10RA (rs9610) (Pforinteraction = 0.003) and TNF (rs1800629) (Pforinteraction = 0.012) for NHL overall and IL10RA (rs9610) (Pforinteraction = 0.001) and TNF (rs1800629) (Pforinteraction = 0.019) for B-cell lymphoma. The results suggest that genetic polymorphisms in TNF and IL10RA genes may modify the association between blood transfusion and NHL risk.

BACKGROUND—Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) is a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine which is prominent in asthmatic airways. TNF shows genetic variations in secretion which are linked to polymorphisms in the TNF gene complex and the surrounding major histocompatibility (MHC) locus. These polymorphisms do not seem to be themselves functionally important. In these circumstances, the identification of disease associated haplotypes (combination of alleles on individual chromosomes) may narrow the search for polymorphisms which alter gene function.
METHODS—TNF-308, LTαNcoI, and HLA-DRB1 polymorphisms were investigated for association with asthma, bronchial responsiveness, and medication use in 1004 subjects in 230 families from a general population sample.
RESULTS—The common LTαNcoI*1/TNF-308*2/HLA-DRB1*03 haplotype, which was present in 11% of unrelated individuals, was weakly associated with asthma (OR = 1.38, p = 0.016, corrected for familial correlation). The rarer LTαNcoI*1/TNF-308*2/HLA-DRB1*02 haplotype, which was found in 0.6% of unrelated subjects, was more strongly associated with asthma (OR = 6.68, p = 0.002). This haplotype also showed association with bronchial hyperresponsiveness (OR = 21.9, p =0.0000) and the use of inhaled or oral steroids (OR 8.0, p = 0.04).
CONCLUSIONS—The results of this study show only two extended TNF/HLA-DR haplotypes to be associated with asthma. The search for functional alleles responsible for an increased risk of asthma should concentrate on the LTαNcoI*1/TNF-308*2/HLA-DRB1*02 haplotype.



Objective

To describe cases of lymphoma associated with anti-TNF therapy, identify risk factors, estimate the incidence and compare risks for different anti-TNF agents.

Methods

We designed a national prospective registry (RATIO) from 2004 to 2006, for collecting all cases of lymphoma in French patients receiving anti-TNF therapy, whatever the indication. We conducted a case-control analysis including two controls treated with anti-TNF per case and an incidence study of lymphoma with the French population used as reference..

Results

We collected 38 cases of lymphoma, 31 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) (26 B-cell and 5 T-cell), 5 Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) and 2 Hodgkin’s-like lymphoma. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was detected in 2 of 2 Hodgkin’s-like lymphoma, 3 of 5 HL and one NHL. Patients receiving adalimumab or infliximab had a higher risk than those treated with etanercept: SIR = 4.1 (2.3–7.1) and 3.6 (2.3–5.6) versus 0.9 (0.4– 1.8). The exposure to adalimumab or infliximab versus etanercept was an independent risk factor for lymphoma in the case-control study: odds ratio=4.7 (1.3– 17.7) and 4.1 (1.4–12.5), respectively. The sex and age- adjusted incidence rate of lymphoma was 42.1 per 100,000 patient-years. The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) was 2.4 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7–3.2).

Conclusion

Some lymphomas associated with immunosuppression may occur in patients receiving anti TNF therapy, and the risk of lymphoma is higher with monoclonal-antibody therapy than with soluble-receptor therapy.

Aim

The goal of this study was to develop and implement methodology that would aid in the analysis of extended high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) major histocompatibility complex (MHC) haplotypes combined with human leucocyte antigen (HLA) alleles in relation to type 1 diabetes risk.

Methods

High-density SNP genotype data (2918 SNPs) across the MHC from the Type 1 Diabetes Genetics Consortium (1240 families), in addition to HLA data, were processed into haplotypes using PEDCHECK and MERLIN, and extended DR3 haplotypes were analysed.

Results

With this large dense set of SNPs, the conservation of DR3-B8-A1 (8.1) haplotypes spanned the MHC (≥99% SNP identity). Forty-seven individuals homozygous for the 8.1 haplotype also shared the same homozygous genotype at four ‘sentinel’ SNPs (rs2157678 ‘T’, rs3130380 ‘A’, rs3094628 ‘C’ and rs3130352 ‘T’). Conservation extended from HLA-DQB1 to the telomeric end of the SNP panels (3.4 Mb total). In addition, we found that the 8.1 haplotype is associated with lower risk than other DR3 haplotypes by both haplotypic and genotypic analyses [haplotype: p = 0.009, odds ratio (OR) = 0.65; genotype: p = 6.3 × 10−5, OR = 0.27]. The 8.1 haplotype (from genotypic analyses) is associated with lower risk than the high-risk DR3-B18-A30 haplotype (p = 0.01, OR = 0.23), but the DR3-B18-A30 haplotype did not differ from other non-8.1 DR3 haplotypes relative to diabetes association.

Conclusion

The 8.1 haplotype demonstrates extreme conservation (>3.4 Mb) and is associated with significantly lower risk for type 1 diabetes than other DR3 haplotypes.

BACKGROUND

Genetic susceptibility studies of lymphoma may serve to identify at risk populations and to elucidate important disease mechanisms.

METHODS

This review considered all studies published through October 2006 on the contribution of genetic polymorphisms in the risk of lymphoma.

RESULTS

Numerous studies implicate the role of genetic variants that promote B-cell survival and growth with increased risk of lymphoma. Several reports including a large pooled study by InterLymph, an international consortium of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) case-control studies, found positive associations between variant alleles in TNF -308G>A and IL10 -3575T>A genes and risk of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Four studies reported positive associations between a GSTT1 deletion and risk of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Genetic studies of folate-metabolizing genes implicate folate in NHL risk, but further studies that include folate and alcohol assessments are needed. Links between NHL and genes involved in energy regulation and hormone production and metabolism may provide insights into novel mechanisms implicating neuro- and endocrine-immune cross-talk with lymphomagenesis, but will need replication in larger populations.

CONCLUSIONS

Numerous studies suggest that common genetic variants with low penetrance influence lymphoma risk, though replication studies will be needed to eliminate false positive associations.

AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) and ARC (AIDS-related complex) are associated with a spectrum of lymphoproliferative disorders ranging from lymphadenopathy syndrome (LAS), an apparently benign polyclonal lymphoid hyperplasia, to B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL), i.e., malignant, presumably monoclonal B cell proliferations. To gain insight into the process of lymphomagenesis in AIDS and to investigate a possible pathogenetic relationship between LAS and NHL, we investigated the clonality of the B or T lymphoid populations by Ig or T beta gene rearrangement analysis, the presence of rearrangements involving the c-myc oncogene locus, and the presence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) sequences in both LAS and B-NHL biopsies. Our data indicate that multiple clonal B cell expansions are present in a significant percentage of LAS (approximately 20%) and B- NHL (60%) biopsies. c-myc rearrangements/translocations are detectable in 9 of our 10 NHLs, but not in any of the LAS cases. However, only one of the B cell clones, identified by Ig gene rearrangements carries a c- myc gene rearrangement, suggesting that only one clone carries the genetic abnormality associated with malignant B cell lymphoma. Furthermore, the frequency of detection of c-myc rearrangements in AIDS- associated NHLs of both Burkitt and non-Burkitt type suggest that the biological alterations present in AIDS favor the development of lymphomas carrying activated c-myc oncogenes. Finally, our data show that HIV DNA sequences are not detectable in LAS nor in NHL B cell clones, suggesting that HIV does not play a direct role in NHL development. Taken together, these observations suggest a model of multistep lymphomagenesis in AIDS in which LAS would represent a predisposing condition to NHL. Immunosuppression and EBV infection present in LAS can favor the expansion of B cell clones, which in turn may increase the probability of occurrence of c-myc rearrangements leading to malignant transformation.