Correlating interleukin-10 promoter gene polymorphisms with human cerebral infarction onset

Evidence suggests that interleukin-10(IL-10) deficiency exacerbates inflammation and worsens the outcome of brain ischemia. In view of the critical role of the single nucleotide polymorphic sites-1082(A/G) and-819(C/T) in the promoter region of the IL-10 gene, we hypothesized that they are associated with cerebral infarction morbidity in the Chinese Han population. We genotyped these allelic gene polymorphisms by amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction methods in 181 patients with cerebral infarction(cerebral infarction group) and 115 healthy subjects(control group). We identified significant differences in genotype distribution and allele frequency of the IL-10-1082 A/G allele between cerebral infarction and control groups(χ2 = 6.643, P = 0.010). The IL-10-1082 A allele frequency was significantly higher in the cerebral infarction group(92.3%) than in the control group(86.1%)(P = 0.015). Moreover, cerebral infarction risk of the AA genotype was 2-fold higher than with the AG genotype(OR = 2.031, 95%CI: 1.134–3.637). In addition, AA genotype together with hypertension was the independent risk factor of cerebral infarction(OR = 2.073, 95%CI: 1.278–3.364). No statistical difference in genotype distribution or allele frequency of IL-10-819 C/T was found between cerebral infarction and control groups(P > 0.05). These findings suggest that the IL-10-1082 A/G gene polymorphism is involved in cerebral infarction, and increased A allele frequency is closely associated with occurrence of cerebral infarction.