This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Forte, G. I.
Right arrow Articles by Mansueto, S.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Forte, G. I.
Right arrow Articles by Mansueto, S.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, June 2009, p. 811-815, Vol. 16, No. 6
1071-412X/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CVI.00121-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Relevance of Gamma Interferon, Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha, and Interleukin-10 Gene Polymorphisms to Susceptibility to Mediterranean Spotted Fever {triangledown}

Giusi Irma Forte,1,2 Letizia Scola,1,2 Gabriella Misiano,2 Salvatore Milano,2 Pasquale Mansueto,3 Giustina Vitale,3 Fiamma Bellanca,4 Maria Sanacore,1,2 Loredana Vaccarino,1,2 Giovan Battista Rini,3 Calogero Caruso,2 Enrico Cillari,4 Domenico Lio,1,2* and Serafino Mansueto3

Patologia Clinica,1 Sezione di Patologia Generale, Dipartimento di Biopatologia e Metodologie Biomediche,2 Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e delle Patologie Emergenti, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy,3 Servizio di Patologia Clinica, V. Cervello Hospital, Palermo, Italy4

Received 11 March 2009/ Returned for modification 7 April 2009/ Accepted 15 April 2009

The acute phase of Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is characterized by dramatic changes in cytokine production patterns, clearly indicating their role in the immunomodulation of the response against the microorganism, and the differences in cytokine production seem to influence the extent and severity of the disease. In this study, the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-{alpha}) –308G/A (rs1800629) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) –1087G/A (rs1800896), –824C/T (rs1800871), and –597C/A (rs1800872) and the gamma interferon (IFN-{gamma}) T/A SNP at position +874 (rs2430561) were typed in 80 Sicilian patients affected by MSF and in 288 control subjects matched for age, gender, and geographic origin. No significant differences in TNF-{alpha} –308G/A genotype frequencies were observed. The +874TT genotype, associated with an increased production of IFN-{gamma}, was found to be significantly less frequent in MSF patients than in the control group (odds ratio [OR], 0.18; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.06 to 0.51; P corrected for the number of genotypes [Pc], 0.0021). In addition, when evaluating the IFN-{gamma} and IL-10 genotype interaction, a significant increase of +874AA/–597CA (OR, 5.31; 95% CI, 2.37 to 11.88; Pc, 0.0027) combined genotypes was observed. In conclusion, our data strongly suggest that finely genetically tuned cytokine production may play a crucial role in the regulation of the immune response against rickettsial infection, therefore influencing the disease outcomes, ranging from nonapparent or subclinical condition to overt or fatal disease.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Clinical Pathology, General Pathology Section, Department of Pathobiology and Biomedical Methodologies, University of Palermo, Corso Tukory 211, I 90134 Palermo, Italy. Phone: 390916555913. Fax: 390916555933. E-mail: dolio{at}unipa.it

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 22 April 2009.

Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, June 2009, p. 811-815, Vol. 16, No. 6
1071-412X/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CVI.00121-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»