PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE PUTATIVE ASSOCIATION OF IL10 -3575 T/A GENETIC POLYMORPHISM WITH MALARIA SYMPTOMS

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Main Authors: Wilson DOMINGUES, Kelly Aparecida KANUNFRE, Jonatas Cristian RODRIGUES, Leandro Emidio TEIXEIRA, Lidia YAMAMOTO, Thelma Suely OKAY
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) 2016
• Subjects: Malaria; Genetic polymorphism; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Cytokines; Restriction enzymes; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/s1678-9946201658030; https://doaj.org/article/432ae753c07242b287e9bd3d50ab1aac

Only a small percentage of individuals living in endemic areas develop severe malaria suggesting that host genetic factors may play a key role. This study has determined the frequency of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in some pro and anti-inflammatory cytokine gene sequences: IL6 (-174; rs1800795), IL12p40 (+1188; rs3212227), IL4 (+33; rs2070874), IL10 (-3575; rs1800890) and TGFb1 (+869; rs1800470), by means of PCR-RFLP. Blood samples were collected from 104 symptomatic and 37 asymptomatic subjects. Laboratory diagnosis was assessed by the thick blood smear test and nested-PCR. No association was found between IL6 (-174), IL12p40 (+1188), IL4 (+33), IL10 (- 3575), TGFb1 (+869) SNPs and malaria symptoms. However, regarding the IL10 -3575 T/A SNP, there were significantly more AA and AT subjects, carrying the polymorphic allele A, in the symptomatic group (c2 = 4.54, p = 0.01, OR = 0.40 [95% CI - 0.17- 0.94]). When the analysis was performed by allele, the frequency of the polymorphic allele A was also significantly higher in the symptomatic group (c2 = 4.50, p = 0.01, OR = 0.45 [95% CI - 0.21-0.95]). In conclusion, this study has suggested the possibility that the IL10 - 3575 T/A SNP might be associated with the presence and maintenance of malaria symptoms in individuals living in endemic areas. Taking into account that this polymorphism is related to decreased IL10 production, a possible role of this SNP in the pathophysiology of malaria is also suggested, but replication studies with a higher number of patients and evaluation of IL10 levels are needed for confirmation.