title: Relation of an interleukin-23 receptor gene polymorphism to graft-versus-host disease after hematopoietic-cell transplantation.
abstract: Polymorphisms in cytokine genes can influence immune responses and inflammation and thereby affecting the outcome of hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. We analyzed a single-nucleotide polymorphism in the gene for the interleukin-23 receptor (IL-23R) (1142G>A) in a cohort of 221 transplant recipients and their human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-identical sibling donors and in a second cohort of 186 transplant recipients and their HLA-identical unrelated donors. Genotypes were tested for an association with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) by multivariate analysis. The donor's IL-23R genotype was significantly associated with a reduced risk of acute GVHD in both cohorts for patients after transplant. Analysis of all 407 transplant recipients showed that IL-23R (1142G>A, Arg381Gln) genotype of the donor was associated with a decreased risk of grades 2-4 acute GVHD (31.6 compared to 51.0%, P=0.02) and grades 3-4 severe acute GVHD (3.9 compared to 23.4%, P=0.003). Death in remission was significantly lower in patients transplanted from donors with variant IL23-R (11.7 versus 27.7%, P=0.028), whereas overall survival or relapse rates were not influenced significantly by the IL-23R genotype. Among recipients of hematopoietic cells from HLA-identical donors, the IL-23R (Arg381Gln) gene variant on the donor side has a protective effect on the occurrence of acute GVHD in recipients after transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation, University Hospital of Essen, Essen, Germany. ahmet.elmaagacli@uni-duisburg.essen.de
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Elmaagacli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koldehoff
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Landt
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Beelen
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D035781:Siblings; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens; C515500:IL23R protein, human; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin