Single nucleotide polymorphisms for genes encoding cytokines in the context of cardiac surgery. Part I: Heart transplantation.
Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death in Poland and other countries of the European Union. Patients with end-stage heart failure constitute a patient subgroup for whom the treatment of choice is heart transplantation. Despite advances in immunosuppressive therapy, acute or chronic graft rejection occurs in 20-30% of cases in the first six months after transplantation. The significance of the immune response and inflammation in graft rejection implies the important role of cytokines. Molecular markers are sought to facilitate risk assessment and improve patient care. At present, genetic tests are not used for this purpose, but studies aiming to rectify that have been conducted for years, including studies on single nucleotide polymorphisms of cytokine genes. This paper presents the results of research on the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TGF-β1, PDGF, VEGF, and TNF-α genes in conjunction with heart transplantation. The analyzed data do not allow for reliable application of these genetic tests in clinical practice, but suggest that it is a promising direction which may improve the options of treatment individualization in the future.
Department for the Prevention of Food-related Diseases, School of Public Health, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
Aleksander
A
Danikiewicz
Third Chair and Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry in Zabrze, Silesian Center for Heart Diseases in Zabrze, Poland.
Janusz
J
Szkodzinski
Third Chair and Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry in Zabrze, Silesian Center for Heart Diseases in Zabrze, Poland.
Bartosz
B
Hudzik
Department for the Prevention of Food-related Diseases, School of Public Health, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
Ilona
I
Korzonek-Szlacheta
Third Chair and Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry in Zabrze, Silesian Center for Heart Diseases in Zabrze, Poland.
Mariusz
M
Gąsior
Third Chair and Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry in Zabrze, Silesian Center for Heart Diseases in Zabrze, Poland.
Lech
L
Polonski
Department for the Prevention of Food-related Diseases, School of Public Health, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
Barbara
B
Zubelewicz-Szkodzińska
SNP; cytokines; heart transplantation; single nucleotide polymorphisms