Polymorphism of proinflammatory cytokine genes in girls predisposed to recurrent respiratory infections

Abstract

Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are very common in children and often prompt parents to seek medical advice. Increased susceptibility to ARI is caused by a number of factors, including genetically determined imbalances in cytokine production. The aim of this study was to analyze the frequency of 6 clinically relevant polymorphisms of proinflammatory cytokine genes in girls predisposed to recurrent respiratory infections. The study was conducted in girls aged 7–17 years who were undergoing a routine medical checkup. A group of children with frequent respiratory infections was identified. The following polymorphisms were analyzed for possible associations with predisposition to frequent respiratory infections: IL1β T-31C (rs1143627), IL1β T-511C (rs16944), IL1β C-3953T (rs1143634), IL1β G-1473C (rs1143623); IL6 C-174G (rs1800795), and TNFα G-308A (rs1800629). For polymorphism detection, PCR and gel electrophoresis were used. The following alleles were found to be associated with an increased risk for recurrent respiratory infections in girls aged 7–17 years: С-31 (rs1143627) (OR = 2.05; CI: 1.16–3.64; р = 0.013) and С-511 (rs16944) (OR = 3.11; CI: 1.25–7.76; р = 0.013) of the IL-1β gene.