ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: There has been accumulating evidence that interleukin-10 (IL-10) influences on the production of proinflammatory cytokines, regulating the development of atopic diseases. In this study, we tested the genetic association between IL-10 haplotype polymorphism and the development of atopy. METHODS: The frequency of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at positions- 1082 (A/G), -819 (C/T), -592 (A/C) and corresponding haplotypes in the promotor region of the IL-10 gene were analysed in 174 atopic and 130 non-atopic children using Taqman method. The data were assessed for correlations with the eosinophil count and total serum IgE concentration. RESULTS: Three haplotypes (ATA, ACC, GCC) were identified without any ambiguous phasing due to linkage disequilibrium among SNPs. The frequency of IL-10 haplotype ACC was higher in non-atopic children compared to atopic children. (P=0.04) The frequency of IL-10 haplotype ATA was higher in atopic children compared to non-atopic children, but a statistical significance was not found. (P=0.099) ATA/ATA and ATA/ACC accounted for 80 percent of six different genotypes. Although the frequency of ATA/ATA genotype was higher in atopic children, there was no statistical significance. Although medians of serum IgE level and total eosinophil count were higher among atopic children with ATA/ATA genotype than in atopic children with ATA/ACC, no statistical significance was found. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that IL-10 promotor polymorphism may be associated with a genetic risk factor for the development of atopy in Korean children.