title: Allelic polymorphisms in the repeat and promoter regions of the interleukin-4 gene and malaria severity in Ghanaian children.
abstract: Immunoglobulin E has been associated with severe malaria suggesting a regulatory role for interleukin (IL)-4 and/or IgE in the pathogenesis of severe malaria. We have investigated possible associations between polymorphisms in the IL-4 repeat region (intron 3) and promoter regions (IL-4 +33CT and - 590CT) in Ghanaian children with severe malaria. There was a significantly higher frequency of IL-4 intron-3 B1B1 genotype in the cerebral malaria group [P < 0.0001, odds ratio (OR) = 8.7]. The genotype and allele frequencies of the IL-4 -590 and +33 polymorphisms did not differ between the four study groups. Carriers of IL-4 +33T/-590T with cerebral malaria had elevated total IgE compared to non-carriers (P = 0.03). Our data suggest that IL-4 and/or IgE play a regulatory role in the pathogenesis of severe or complicated malaria.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Unit, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Ghana.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Gyan
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Goka
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Cvetkovic
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kurtzhals
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Adabayeri
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Perlmann
authors.forename: A-K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Lefvert
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Akanmori
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Troye-Blomberg
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D007223:Infant; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics*; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium / Q000235:genetics; D016779:Malaria, Cerebral / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E