TNF receptor type 1 and TNF receptor type 2 mRNA expression was not associated with coronary artery disease in a group of Iranian Turks

OBJECTIVES: Present investigation was carried out to evaluate the mRNA level of TNF receptor type 1 (TNFR1) and TNF receptor type 2 (TNFR2) in peripheral-blood cells in patients with premature CAD over healthy controls. BACKGROUND: TNFα as a pleiotropic cytokine could be concerned in cardiovascular pathophysiology regarding its special effects on endothelial cells. TNFα exerts its activities through its receptors, TNFR1 and TNFR2. METHODS: Totally, 40 patients with premature CAD and 40 healthy controls were studied. The qRT-PCR technique was used to determine the mRNA level of TNFR1 and TNFR2 in tested groups. RESULTS: The results of this study show that the relative expression was 1.32 ± 0.34 in cases and 1.11 ± 0.16 in controls for TNFR1. The relative expression was 0.96 ± 0.13 in cases and 1.49 ± 0.41 in controls for TNFR2. There is no significant difference in the level of gene expression in the studied groups regarding TNFR1 and TNFR2 genes (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that the mRNA levels of TNFR1 and TNFR2 were not associated with CAD risk. Studies with more details, larger sample size, and new risk loci are necessary to reveal disease-causing mechanisms in the pathogenesis of CAD (Fig. 3, Ref. 21).