The CC chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) polymorphism −2518A/G is associated with gout in the Chinese Han male population

Gout is usually characterized by uric acid-induced recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis. CC chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), a chemokine involved in the recruitment and migration of monocytes/macrophages, has previously been shown to be increased in the plasma of gout patients. In this study, we examined whether the CCL2 −2518A/G (rs1024611) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) affects susceptibility to gout in a Chinese Han male population. Genomic DNA from gout patients (n = 1,109) and ethnically matched gout-free controls (n = 1,034) was genotyped for the CCL2 −2518A/G SNP using polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism. The Chi-square test was performed to investigate the association of genotypic and allelic frequencies between cases and controls, and the −2518G allele was shown to be associated with a significantly increased risk of gout development [P = 0.007, odds ratio 1.182, 95 % confidence interval 1.047–1.335]. The GG genotypic distribution was also significantly different between cases and controls (adjusted P = 0.021). However, genotypic distributions and allelic frequencies did not indicate significant associations (P = 0.150 and P = 0.050, respectively) between tophi and non-tophi patients. Our findings support a key role for the CCL2 SNP −2518A/G in association with gout susceptibility in the Chinese Han male population. However, additional studies in other populations should be carried out to confirm this finding.