Interleukin-10 high producer allele and ultrasound-defined periventricular white matter abnormalities in preterm infants: a preliminary study.
OBJECTIVE
Inflammation plays a role in prematurity, in neonatal disorders of the brain, lung, eye, bowel, and in developmental disability among preterm infants. We initiated a pilot study in preterm children to determine the prevalence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the infection/inflammation-associated genes for interleukin (IL)-10 (- 1082 G/A), IL-1beta (+ 3953 C/T), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha (- 308 G/A) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) (Asp299Gly) and whether these SNPs affect the risk for neonatal disorders.


METHODS
We genotyped 73 children >/= 2 years of age whose gestational age at birth was < 32 weeks, and explored the associations between genotypes and neonatal disorders and developmental status at age 2 + years.


RESULTS
Infants homozygous for the high IL-10 producer - 1082 G-allele (n = 15) were significantly less likely to develop ultrasound-defined periventricular echodensities. A non-significant, but prominent, risk reduction for bronchopulmonary dysplasia, high-grade retinopathy, cerebral palsy, and developmental delay at age 2 + years was present. Polymorphisms in the IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, and TLR-4 genes were too infrequent in our pilot sample to allow for reasonable analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Infants homozygous for the IL-10 high producer - 1082 G allele might be at reduced risk for prematurity-associated disorders.
Dördelmann
M
M
Dept. of Pediatric Pneumology and Neonatology, OE 6710, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. doerdelmann.michael@mh-hannover.de
Kerk
J
J
Dressler
F
F
Brinkhaus
M-J
MJ
Bartels
D B
DB
Dammann
C E L
CE
Dörk
T
T
Dammann
O
O
D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000473:pathology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods
D007375:Interleukin-1; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10