Possible association between -G308A tumour necrosis factor-alpha gene polymorphism and major depressive disorder in the Korean population.

Objective: The present study was aimed at examining the association between the -G308A tumour necrosis factor-alpha gene polymorphism and major depressive disorder (MDD) in the Korean population.

Methods: One hundred and eight in-patients with MDD and 125 healthy controls participated in this study. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Results: Genotype and allele distributions in patients with MDD (P=0.024 and P=0.0125, respectively), were significantly different from those of the controls. In particular, subjects with MDD had an increased frequency of the TNF2 (A) allele.

Conclusion: The present study suggests that the -G308A tumour necrosis factor-alpha gene polymorphism may have a potential role for susceptibility to MDD in the Korean population.