Interleukin-10 gene promoter polymorphism in Japanese patients with adult and earlyonset periodontitis

Background: IL-10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine, which may modulate dise ase expression in chronic inflammatory periodontal disease. 3 dimorphic pol ymorphisms within the IL-10 gene promoter have recently been identified and appear to influence regulation of its expression. Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the promoter p olymorphisms are associated with adult periodontitis (A-P) and generalized early-onset periodontitis (G-EOP). Methods: Genomic DNA was obtained from 3 4 AP patients, 18 G-EOP patients and 52 controls. The promoter region betwe en - 506 and - 1140 was amplified by polymerase chain reaction, and polymor phisms were detected by nucleotide sequencing. Results: The haplotype frequencies in Japanese were quite different from th ose of Caucasian and were even slightly different from those of southern Ch inese with systemic lupus erythematosus. We found no significant difference in allele or haplotype frequencies between patients and controls. Conclusions: IL-10 production may be regulated within the complex cytokine network in chronic inflammatory periodontal disease, rather than the gene p olymorphisms.