Vascular endothelial growth factor gene polymorphisms and rheumatoid arthritis

To investigate polymorphisms of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and their relationship to clinical features.

A total of 198 unrelated Chinese individuals were enrolled in this study, including 98 patients with RA and 100 healthy controls. Eight different polymorphisms of the VEGF gene were analyzed using Sequenom MassArray platform.

All 8 polymorphisms were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in controls. The frequencies of rs833070 A allele and rs325010 C allele were elevated in the patients with RA compared with the controls. There were increased genotype frequencies in GA of rs833070, GC of rs3025030, CT of rs3025039 and decreased genotype frequencies in GG of rs833070, GG of rs3025030, CC of rs3025039 in the patients with RA compared with the controls. The frequencies of haplotype GA in rs2010963 and rs833070 were higher in the patients with RA than in the controls. There was no significant difference in the genotype or allele frequencies in the RA group sorted by complications, serum markers, or age of onset.

Our data suggested a trend of association between VEGF gene polymorphisms and RA, and patients who carried the haplotype GA of rs2010963 and rs833070 were more susceptible to RA. Our study was performed in a small population, and further studies in other populations are needed to confirm these results.