Association of TNF and FcγRΙΙΙA gene polymorphisms with differential response to infliximab in a Greek cohort of Crohn’s disease patients

Background and Aim Infliximab (IFX) has revolutionized the treatment of patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). However, a significant proportion of patients may fail to respond primarily or lose response over time. The genetic background of a particular individual may partially explain differences in responsiveness to anti-TNFα therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate whether polymorphisms in the promoter region of the TNF and FcγRΙΙΙA gene are associated with response to IFX in patients with CD. Methods We investigated the following single nucleotide polymorphisms in the promoter region of the TNF gene (-238 G/A, -308 G/A, and -857 C/T) and the -158 V/F polymorphism in the FcγRΙΙΙA gene in a cohort of 79 adults and 27 children, who were all Greek patients with CD. These polymorphisms were determined using PCR-RFLP or allele-specific PCR. Results Regarding the 106 patients included in the study, 68 (64.15%) were classified as complete and 25 (23.58%) as partial responders to IFX, while 13 (12.26%) patients were primary non responders. There were no significant differences in the frequencies of the various TNF and FcγRΙΙΙA genotypes among complete, partial responders or primary non responders. Conclusion These results suggest that TNF and FcγRΙΙΙA genotypes did not affect the response to IFX in this cohort of Greek patients with CD. Keywords infliximab, Crohn’s disease, promoter TNF gene, FcγRΙΙΙA polymorphisms Ann Gastroenterol 2011; 24 (1): 35-40