Background: The aim of this study was to assess the influence of IL-10 and TGFbeta1 gene polymorphisms on the development of acute rejection and coronary disease in pediatric heart transplant recipients.
Methods: Patients were classified as either Rejectors or Nonrejectors. Coronary artery disease (CAD) was diagnosed by angiography or on macroscopic examination. Genotyping PCR-SSP were performed for IL-10 and TGFbeta1 (codon 10 and 25) in 111 patients. Thirty-nine were Rejectors and 31 developed CAD.
Results: The proportion of IL-10 low-producers was higher in Rejectors than in Nonrejectors (respectively 46% versus 22%, P=0.009). IL-10 gene polymorphism was not associated with CAD. TGFbeta1-codon10-25 high-producers were 92.3% in Rejectors and 75% in Nonrejectors (P=0.026), 93.5% in patients with CAD and 76.2% in patients free from CAD (P=0.037). TGFbeta1-codon25 high-production separately analyzed correlated with CAD (31/31 high-producers in CAD=100% versus 69/80 in noCAD patients=86.2%, P=0.03). TGFbeta1-codon10 gene polymorphisms were not associated with CAD.
Conclusion: IL-10 low-producers have an increased risk of acute rejection. High-expressors of TGFbeta1-codon10-25 have an increased risk of acute rejection and CAD, while TGFbeta1-codon25 high-production is associated with coronary disease. Genetic polymorphism may reveal patients at high-risk in whom therapies and monitoring should be adjusted.