Promoter Polymorphism (-308G/A) of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) Gene and Asthma Risk: An Updated Meta-Analysis.

Background and Aims: The relationship between the promoter polymorphism (-308G/A) of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) gene and the susceptibility to asthma has been tested in several studies. However, the results have been inconsistent. Therefore, we performed an updated meta-analysis to evaluate the relationship between this promoter polymorphism of the TNF-α gene and the risk of asthma. Methods: Fifty case-control studies were included in this meta-analysis which provided 17,937 controls and 9961 asthma patients. The pooled p-value, odds ratio (OR), and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were used to investigate the strength of the association of this polymorphism of the TNF-α gene with the risk of asthma. The meta-analysis was carried out by Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. Results: The results of our meta-analysis revealed that the TNF-α polymorphism (-308, G/A) was strongly associated with the risk of asthma (p < 0.05 in the allelic, dominant, and recessive models, respectively). In further analyses, based on age group and ethnicity, we observed this association for all subpopulations examined (p < 0.05 in allelic, dominant, and recessive models, respectively). Conclusion: This large-scale meta-analysis supports a strong association between the TNF-α gene promoter polymorphism (-308G/A) and the development to asthma in both children and adults.

The Effects of Korea Red Ginseng on Inflammatory Cytokines and Apoptosis in Rat Model with Chronic Nonbacterial Prostatitis.

Chronic prostatitis typically occurs in aging men, and its symptoms include frequent and painful urination. In recent study, several studies have shown that Korean red ginseng (KRG) can be used in the prevention and treatment of various diseases. The objective of this study is to investigate whether KRG can play a role in repressing the development of chronic nonbacterial prostatitis (CNP) in male Wistar rats. To induce CNP, rats were castrated and beta-estradiol (0.25 mg/kg) was subcutaneously (s.c.) injected daily. 7-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups (the normal group, CNP group, positive group, and KRG group (0.25g/kg) and another KRG (0.50g/kg) group. After 4 weeks, all rats were sacrificed and their prostate and serum were analyzed. Compared to the positive group, the KRG groups (0.25g/kg and 0.50g/kg) showed similar protective properties on CNP based on the histopathologic morphology of the prostate and the inflammation cytokines in the prostate tissue. Also, results of the immunohistochemistry staining showed that expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), interleukin 6 (IL6), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), and cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (COX2) were also decreased in KRG group (0.25g/kg) and KRG group (0.50g/kg). These results suggested that KRG inhibited the development of CNP and might a useful herbal treatment or functional food for CNP.