Genetic association of interleukin-4, interleukin-10, and transforming growth factor-beta gene polymorphism with allograft function in renal transplant patients.

Despite advances in immunosuppressive therapy in the past decade, allograft rejection remains the primary cause for kidney graft failure. Cytokines are known to be important mediators in renal allograft outcome. The aim of the present study was to ascertain whether interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta cytokine gene polymorphisms contributed to kidney graft outcome. We evaluated single nucleotide polymorphism in IL-4 (-1098G/T, -590C/T, -33C/T), IL-10 (-1082A/G, -819C/T, -592A/C), and TGF-beta (codon 10 and 25) in 100 renal transplant recipients and 139 normal healthy control using polymerase chain reactions based on sequence-specific primers. Recipients were clinically characterized as rejection episode (RE) versus stable graft function (SGF). The results showed the frequencies of IL-4 -33 T allele in the RE, SGF, and control group to be 7%, 73%, and 28%, respectively. IL-10 -592 A allele frequency was 39% in RE, 26% in SGF, and 28% in the control group. TGF-beta codon 10 T allele was 39% in RE, 35% in SGF, and 53% in control group. In conclusion, this study suggested that some cytokine gene alleles reflected SGF among kidney transplant recipients.