IL-10 GENE PROMOTER POLYMORPHISMS IN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

IL-10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine which may modulate disease expr ession in RA. Three dimorphic polymorphisms within the IL-10 gene prom oter have recently been identified and appear to influence regulation of its expression. The -1082A allele has been associated with low and the -1082G allele with high in vitro IL-10 production. We have analy sed 117 unrelated Caucasoid RA patients and 119 ethnically matched con trols. No significant differences in the allele frequencies of the thr ee polymorphisms were found between controls and RA patients. In contr ast, a significant association between the -1082A allele and the (-10 82A/-819*C/-592*C) haplotype and IgA RF+ve/IgG RF-ve patients was obs erved. The association of genotypes encoding low IL-10 production with IgA RF in RA is incompatible with its suggested role in antibody isot ype switching. IgA RF has been associated with severe RA and may thus be indirectly correlated with a genotype encoding low IL-10 production .