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Lack of association between macrophage migration inhibitory factor gene polymorphism and giant cell arteritis.

OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) gene polymorphism in giant cell arteritis (GCA).


METHODS
Eighty-three patients with biopsy-proven GCA, 20 of them with visual ischemic complications, and 122 healthy matched controls from the Lugo region of Northwest Spain were studied. Patients and controls were genotyped for a single nucleotide polymorphism in the 5'-flanking region at position -173 of the MIF gene, using SNapshot ddNTP primer extension, followed by capillary electrophoresis (ABI 3100).


RESULTS
No significant differences in MIF gene polymorphism were observed in patients with biopsy-proven GCA compared to controls. This was also the case when GCA patients with or without visual ischemic complications were compared.


CONCLUSION
Polymorphism in MIF gene promoter -173 G/C does not appear to be a genetic risk factor for GCA in Northwest Spain.