Objective: To explore the possible relationship between the polymorphism of CA short tandem repeat in first intron of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) gene and the susceptibility of aplastic anemia.
Methods: 54 patients, who were diagnosed as acquired aplastic anemia in West China Hospital of Sichuan University when it was from February 2006 to March 2007, and simultaneously 51 healthy adults were enrolled as normal control for this project. The polymerase chain reaction and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were used to assay the polymorphism of CA short tandem repeat.
Results: The frequency of the homozygous for 12-12 (CA) repeats or the single allele 12 (CA) repeats of the patients was 18.52% or 50.92% respectively, which was obviously higher than the control group's frequency which was 2.00% or 26.47% (P = 0.008, P < 0.001 respectively). The frequency of the homozygous for 12 (CA) repeats or the single allele 12 (CA) in acute aplastic anemia group was 12. 00% or 48.00%, while in the chronic aplastic anemia group that frequency was 24.14% or 53.45%, the statistic analysis showed there was no significant difference between those two groups (chi2 = 1.311, P = 0.252, chi2 = 0.319, P = 0.572).
Conclusion: This study suggests that: IFN-gamma CA short tandem repeat polymorphism is associated with the susceptibility of aplastic anemia but has no relation to the severity of the aplastic anemia.