Unless the submitter used the exact name "human TNF alpha -308G>T "in their submission, it won't show up as a result in your dbSNP search. It is also possible that the authors who mentioned "human TNF alpha -308G>T" in their publication never submitted this SNP to dbSNP.

Submission to dbSNP is voluntary, but we do try to encourage people to submit SNPs to dbSNP prior to publication so that they can cite their assigned dbSNP IDs (ss or rs) in their manuscript. Check the publication to see if the authors included a dbSNP ID for "human TNF alpha -308G>T" in the manuscript; if they have not, try BLASTing the DNA sequence of human TNF alpha -308G>T (if you have it) against dbSNP to see if there are any matching rs numbers. If there are no matches, and you wish to see this variation in dbSNP, you can submit it yourself using the Human Variation: Annotate and Submit Batch Data site (multiple submissions) or the Human Variation: Search, Annotate, Submit site(single submission). The HumanVariation Batch Submission Quick Start explains how it is possible to submit published SNPs not already housed in dbSNP. (04/30/08)

You can use the Human Variation: Search, Annotate, Submit site to find the rs number you need, but you’ll need the accession number for the reference sequence that codes for CD14 to do so. (04/09/08)

dbSNP has a new search resource called the Human Variation: Search, Annotate, Submit site, which uses names based on HGVS recommended nomenclature (e.g. NM_000594.2:c.-308G>A) that you can try, but you’ll need to have a accession for the reference sequence (a mRNA, or protein, or a genomic sequence in GenBank). (04/30/08)

Currently dbSNP does not support this kind of search; however, you can search SNPs within a gene using Entrez Gene. Add the filter "gene snp"[Filter] to your search term to retrieve genes containing SNPs (example: transporter AND "gene snp"[Filter]). Click on the blue word “Links” located to the right of each record, and select “GeneView in dbSNP” to view the dbSNP report. Please review the online help for additional Gene search terms and help.

dbSNP has a new search resource called the Human Variation: Search, Annotate, Submit site that uses names based on HGVS recommended nomenclature (e.g. NM_000594.2:c.-308G>A) that you can try, but you’ll need to have a accession for the reference sequence (a mRNA, or protein, or a genomic sequence in GenBank). (04/30/08)

Gabor Marth wrote the program PolyBayes for that specific task. dbSNP has implemented PolyBayes as an internal tool for mining polymorphisms in genome pipeline activities. If you would like to use PolyBayes for a research project or within a research group, you should request both the program and a license to use the program from Gabor Marth. His contact email is ude.cb@htram. (2/10/05)