Is there any Association between the Functional Variants of the NOS3 Gene and Psoriasis?

Abstract

Introduction: Psoriasis (Ps) is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory skin disorder with an incompletely understood etiology. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the suspectibility to Ps and G894T (rs1799983) and variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) variants of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) gene. Methods: This is a case-controlled study that included 74 Ps patients in addition to 74 matched healthy unrelated controls from the same locality. The NOS3 gene variants were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or PCR-restriction fragment lenght polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Results: The NOS3 G894T TT genotype and T allele were more common in the Ps group compared to the healthy controls (p=0.000, p=0.001, respectively). The NOS3 VNTR variant BB genotype and B allele were higher in the patient group than in the control group (p=0.005, p=0.000 respectively). The NOS3 VNTR AA genotype was lower in the patient group (p=0.027). However, a stratified analysis including arthritis, the Ps area and severity index (PASI), the age of onset, and family history revealed no significant correlation between the NOS3 G894T and NOS3 VNTR genotypes (p>0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that the NOS3 G894T and VNTR variants are associated with Ps in a Turkish cohort. However, future studies are needed to understand the genetic role of the NOS3 variants in the development of Ps.