Role of Genetic Polymorphisms in Chronic Inflammatory Diseases

Abstract

Chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs) are known to be the significant cause of mortality worldwide, with more than 50% of all deaths being attributed to CIDs, especially cancers, diabetes mellitus (DM), autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and neurodegenerative conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Several genetic factors that result in the development of various CIDs have been identified. With the help of advanced techniques such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS), the functional significance and the impact of genetic polymorphisms, especially single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), on the modulation of susceptibility to CID risk have widely been studied and reported all across the world in various populations. In addition, the role of SNPs in determining the disease progression is currently a hot field of research. Considering the strong evidence that inflammatory diseases occur because of inappropriate inflammatory responses that are regulated by both genetic as well as environmental factors, this chapter discusses the role of several important gene SNPs that have a direct bearing on risk modulation of different CIDs.