Lack of evidence for association between endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphism (glu298asp) with Behcet's disease in the Turkish population

Abstract

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) could be a candidate gene for Behcet's disease (BD). This study investigated the relationship of the eNOS Glu(298) --> Asp polymorphism with the presence and severity of BD in the Turkish population. Ninety-two patients with BD and 100 controls were studied. Analyses of Glu298Asp polymorphism in exon 7 of the eNOS gene were made by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. The frequencies of the eNOS genotypes were similar for BD patients (GG:GT:TT=58.7%:38%:3.3%) and controls (59.2%:33.7%:7.1 %), P=0.335. No evidence of difference was found in the frequency of the T allele between BD patients (22.3%) and controls (24%), [OR=0.91, 95% CI (0.55-1.50), P=0.690]. Glu(298) --> Asp polymorphism of the eNOS gene does not appear to be associated with the presence of BD in the Turkish population.