Objective: To investigate the role of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) gene polymorphism in giant cell arteritis (GCA).
Methods: Eighty-three patients with biopsy-proven GCA, 20 of them with visual ischemic complications, and 122 healthy matched controls from the Lugo region of Northwest Spain were studied. Patients and controls were genotyped for a single nucleotide polymorphism in the 5'-flanking region at position -173 of the MIF gene, using SNapshot ddNTP primer extension, followed by capillary electrophoresis (ABI 3100).
Results: No significant differences in MIF gene polymorphism were observed in patients with biopsy-proven GCA compared to controls. This was also the case when GCA patients with or without visual ischemic complications were compared.
Conclusion: Polymorphism in MIF gene promoter -173 G/C does not appear to be a genetic risk factor for GCA in Northwest Spain.