Open Access

ARTICLE

Cytokine single nucleotide polymorphisms in Iranian populations

Ali Akbar Amirzargar^1,2, Mehrnaz Naroueynejad¹, Farideh Khosravi¹, Saied Dianat¹, Nima Rezaei³, Joannis Mytilineos⁴, Behrouz Nikbin^1,2

1 Immunogenetic Laboratory, Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences
2 Molecular Immunology Research Center, Medical School, Tehran University of Medical Sciences
3 Immunology, Asthma and Allergy Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran
4 Department of Transplantation Immunology, Institute of Clinical Transfusion Medicine and Immunogenetics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany

* Corresponding Author: Ali Akbar Amirzargar,

European Cytokine Network 2008, 19(2), 104-112. https://doi.org/10.1684/ecn.2008.0122

Accepted 17 March 2008;

Abstract

Cytokines are important immunomodulatory molecules involved in immune responses against microorganisms; they also have an important role in the setting of immune system disorders. Cytokine single nucleotide polymorphisms have been extensively studied in different, normal populations as well as in association with disease. Cytokine gene polymorphisms are potentially important as genetic predictors of disease suscepti-bility, clinical outcome, and as a tool for anthropological studies. In this study, samples have been collected from 455 healthy individuals located in different regions of Iran (Tehran, Yazd, Sistan and Balochistan). Allele and genotype frequencies of cytokine SNP, including: IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-1R, IL-1RA, IL-2, IL-4, IL-4RA, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, TNF-α, TGF-β and IFN-γ were investigated, using the PCR-SSP method. Allele frequencies in Tehran and Yazd populations were similar, except for TGF-b. Allele frequencies in Sistani & Baloch populations were similar at all positions, except for IL-β at position of -511 and IFN-γ genes at position UTR5644; there were some differences in allele frequencies comparing these populations with the Yazd population, including: IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TGF-β and TNF-α. Although some significant differences were observed for some cytokines, it seems that the cytokine gene polymorphism profile of the Iranian population is similar to that of Caucasians, particularly the Italian population.

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Keywords

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