title: IL18 production and IL18 promoter polymorphisms correlate with mortality in ICU patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the promoter of interleukin (IL)-18 (-607C/A and -137G/C) may affect the clinical course of inflammatory diseases. This study examined the relationship between the plasma IL18 levels, IL18 promoter polymorphism, and outcomes in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma IL18 levels, IL18 promoter genotype, clinical variables, including APACHE II score, and mortality were examined in 70 ICU patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma IL18 levels were significantly higher in patients who did not survive the ICU stay than in patients who survived, and were correlated with APACHE II score. When examined by IL18 promoter genotype, only patients with the -607CA genotype exhibited differences in IL18 expression between survivors and non-survivors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma IL18 levels may predict outcome in patients with sepsis. IL18 promoter polymorphism, especially at -607, may increase IL18 production in some patients and might be useful in predicting the outcome of patients with sepsis in the ICU.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1, Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, 663-8501, Japan. atsunorinakao@aol.com.
authors.forename: Taihei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Michiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aoyama-Ishikawa
authors.forename: Hayato
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Mayu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Usami
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Terashima
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kohama
authors.forename: Atsunori
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.forename: Joji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kotani
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011379:Prognosis; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D020382:Interleukin-18
keywords: Interleukin-18; promoter regions; sepsis; single nucleotide polymorphism