Cytokine Gene Polymorphisms in Renal Transplant Recipients

Abstract

Objective: Acute rejection remains an important cause of graft loss after renal transplantation, and cytokines are key mediators in the induction and effector phases of all immune and inflammatory responses. However, the influence of gene polymorphisms on the functional immune response of transplant recipient outcomes remains controversial.

Materials and Methods: The amplification refractory mutation system polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the interleukin-10 (IL-10) (-1082 G/A), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) (-308 G/A), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) (+874 T/A) single nucleotide polymorphisms in 100 of the first adult kidney recipients at our institution who were receiving cyclosporine-based immunosuppressive therapy. The diagnosis of acute rejection was based on clinical and histologic findings according to the Banff criteria.

Results: The results of multivariate analyses showed no significant association between episodes of acute rejection and single nucleotide polymorphisms in IL-10, TNF-α genes, or dinucleotide repeat polymorphisms in the IFN-γ gene.

Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that cytokine gene polymorphisms did not influence the early outcome of kidney transplantation.