Association study of tumor necrosis factor receptor type 2 M196R and toll-like receptor 2 Arg753Gln polymorphisms with acne vulgaris in a Chinese Han ethnic group.

Background: Inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2) and Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) are the main responsible mediators of inflammatory acne. Factors affecting their production may possibly influence the degree of inflammatory response and hence may account for the clinical severity of acne. However, the roles of TNFR2 and TLR2 in the pathophysiology of acne vulgaris are poorly understood. We therefore investigated the relationship between acne vulgaris susceptibility and the polymorphisms in the TNFR2 M196R as well as TLR2 Arg753Gln gene.

Methods: A total of 93 acne vulgaris patients and 90 healthy subjects from the Chinese Han ethnic group were enrolled in the study. The polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism technique was adopted to analyze the single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the TNFR2 M196R and TLR2 Arg753Gln gene, and to examine the association between acne vulgaris and the polymorphisms in the TNFR2 M196R as well as TLR2 Arg753Gln gene. The relationship between different genotypes and the susceptibility to acne vulgaris was analyzed.

Results: There is a significant difference in the frequency of TNFR2 M196R genetic polymorphisms between the moderate-acne to severe-acne subgroups and the control group (p < 0.05), and there is also a significant difference in the frequency of TLR2 Arg753Gln genetic polymorphisms between the severe-acne subgroup and control group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The 196R allele of TNFR2 M196R as well as the 753Gln allele of TLR2 Arg753Gln are risk factors for acne vulgaris in Chinese Han patients, further supporting the contribution of inflammatory cytokines to the pathogenesis of acne.