Objective: To examine the distribution of transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) gene polymorphism in a southern Chinese population and the association between TAP gene polymorphism and predisposition to Graves disease.
Methods: We have performed TAP genotyping in 67 Graves disease patients and 69 healthy controls by amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS).
Results: Distribution of TAP genes in our healthy controls shows similar but some different findings as compared with studies in other countries and other regions of our country, suggesting that the distribution of TAP genes might have ethnic or regional differences. The frequency of TAP1D haplotypes was significantly higher in the healthy controls than in the Graves disease patients (RR = 0.17, P < 0.01), and the frequency of TAP1C haplotypes was significantly lower in the healthy controls than in the Graves disease patients (RR = 2.05, P < 0.05). The frequency of TAP2A haplotypes was significantly higher in the healthy controls than in the Graves disease patients (RR = 0.46, P < 0.05), and the frequency of TAP2F haplotypes was significantly lower in the healthy controls than in the Graves disease patients (RR = 9.95, P < 0.05).
Conclusion: TAP1D and TAP2A haplotypes might confer protection against Graves disease while TAP1C and TAP2F haplotypes might confer cause susceptibility to Graves disease.