TNF microsatellite alleles may confer protection against the development of lipodystrophy syndrome in Brazilian HIV patients

Summary The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of TNFa–e microsatellites and the promoter region (TNF‐308 and TNF‐238) in HIV/AIDS‐infected patients presenting or not lipodystrophy syndrome (LS). The design is the genetic case–control association study. Microsatellite and the TNF promoter region polymorphisms were amplified by PCR and submitted to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The genotypes and allele frequencies for 67 HIV‐positive patients with lipodystrophy were compared with 50 HIV‐positive patients with no evidence of lipodystrophy and with 131 healthy HIV‐negative individuals. The presence of the TNFa5 allele could provide HIV/AIDS patients with protection against developing LS. The presence of TNF‐308G allele, as well as of its homozygote TNF‐308GG, were associated with susceptibility to developing LS. In addition, the presence of the haplotype TNFe3‐d3–238G–308A‐c1‐a5–b7 suggests protection against developing that syndrome. This study highlights that polymorphic sites spanning the region nearby the TNF locus are associated with LS development in HIV/AIDS patients.