Investigation of Cytokine Gene Polymorphisms in Korean Patients with Scrub Typhus

U-Im Chang; Su-Yeon Kim; Seong-Heon Wie; Tae-gyu Kim

doi:10.3947/ic.2010.42.1.30

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Chang, Kim, Wie, and Kim: Investigation of Cytokine Gene Polymorphisms in Korean Patients with Scrub Typhus

Original Article

Infection & Chemotherapy

Infection & Chemotherapy 2010; 42(1): 30-34.

Published online: 28 February 2010

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2010.42.1.30

Investigation of Cytokine Gene Polymorphisms in Korean Patients with Scrub Typhus

U-Im Chang¹, Su-Yeon Kim², Seong-Heon Wie¹, Tae-gyu Kim²

¹Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.

²Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.

Corresponding Author: Tae-gyu Kim, M.D., Ph.D. Department of Microbiology and Catholic Hemopoietic Stem Cell Bank, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 505 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Korea. Tel: +82-2-2258-7341, Fax: +82-2-594-7355, kimtg@catholic.ac.kr

Received 30 November 2009 Accepted 7 December 2009

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Background

Scrub typhus is caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi and can become severe and potentially life-threatening. It is suggested that specific host factors can modify the host response during O. tsutsugamushi infection. It is known that susceptibility and outcome of infectious disease are associated with genetic polymorphisms of some cytokines.

Materials and Methods

Peripheral blood of 144 patients who were diagnosed with scrub typhus and of 311 unrelated healthy subjects were collected. A diagnosis of scrub typhus was made upon demonstration of a fourfold rise in antibody titer to O. tsutsugamushi in paired serum specimens in an indirect immunofluorescent (IFA) test. Genomic DNAs were extracted from peripheral mononuclear cells and genotypings for IL-1 (-511C/T), IL-1β (+3953T/C), IL-2 (-330T/G), IL-4 (-590C/T), IL-4R(-1902G/A), IL-10 (-1082G/A), IL-10 (-819C/T), TNF-α (-238G/A) and TNF-α (-308G/A) were performed simultaneously using PCR-SSP (sequence specific polymorphisms) assay.

Results

The frequency of IL-1 (-511T/T) (OR=0.53, P<0.01) and IL-2 (-330T/T) (OR=0.56, P<0.01) were significantly decreased, but that of IL-2(-330G/G) (OR=4.49, P<0.01) was increased, in the scrub typhus patients compared to the healthy controls. And, there were no statistically significant differences in the genetic polymorphisms of IL-4 (-590C/T), IL-4Rα (-1902G/A), IL-10 (-1082G/A), IL-10 (-819C/T), TNF-α (-238G/A), TNF-α (-308G/A) genes, in the scrub typhus patients compared to the unrelated healthy controls.

Conclusions

Cytokine polymorphisms in the IL-1 (-511T/T) and the IL-2 genes may influence the host response to O. tsutsugamushi.

Keywords: Scrub typhus, Cytokine, Gene, Polymorphism

Figures and Tables

Figure 1

Results of PCR-SSP (Sequence specific polymorphism) for Cytokine Polymorphisms. M, indicate DNA size marker; internal control, 440 bp.

Table 1

PCR Primer Sequences for Genotypings in Cytokine Genes

Table 2

Comparison of the IL-1β-511, IL-1β+3953 Polymorphism between Scrub Typhus Patients and Normal Controls in Korean Population

Table 3

Comparison of the IL-2-330 Polymorphism between Scrub Typhus Patients and Normal Controls in Korean Population

Table 4

Comparison of the IL-4-590 and IL-4Rα-1902 Polymorphism between Scrub Typhus Patients and Normal Controls in Korean Population

Table 5

Comparison of the IL-10-819 and IL-10-1082 Polymorphism between Scrub Typhus Patients and Normal Controls in Korean Population

Table 6

Comparison of the TNFα-308 and TNFα-238 Polymorphism between Scrub Typhus Patients and Normal Controls in Korean Population

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