Possible association between -G308A tumour necrosis factor-α gene polymorphism and major depressive disorder in the Korean population

Objective The present study was aimed at examining the association between the -G308A tumour necrosis factor-alpha gene polymorphism and major depressive disorder (MDD) in the Korean population. Methods One hundred and eight in-patients with MDD and 125 healthy controls participated in this study. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results Genotype and allele distributions in patients with M DD (P=0.024 and P=0.0125, respectively), were significantly different from those of the controls. In particular, subjects with M DD had an increased frequency of the TNF2 (A) allele. Conclusion The present study suggests that the -G308A tumour necrosis factor-alpha gene polymorphism may have a potential role for susceptibility to MDD in the Korean population. (C) 2003 Lippincott Williams Wilkins.