Objective: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a disease characterized by ischemia of the heart muscle, usually due to coronary artery disease. Interleukin-10 (IL10) is a proinflammatory cytokine known to protect endothelial function. In this study, we investigated the association of promoter region polymorphisms of the IL10 gene with IHD.
Methods: We recruited 313 control and 173 IHD patients. The selected SNPs in IL10 were genotyped using pyrosequencing.
Results: SNPs at positions -592C/A and -819C/T were statistically associated with IHD (P = 0.014 and P = 0.037). Similarly, the mean value of C-reactive protein in the C allele at -592C/A and -819C/T was significantly higher than that in the A allele at -592C/A (P = 0.026) and T allele at -819C/T (P = 0.026). The presence of hypertension in the C allele at -592C/A and -819C/T was significantly more frequent than that in the A allele at -592C/A (P = 0.044) and T allele at -819C/T (P = 0.044). In the haplotype of two SNPs (-592C/A and -819C/T), one haplotype (CC) presented an association with IHD (P = 0.012).
Conclusions: These results indicate that the C allele with SNPs at position -592C/A and -819C/T of IL10 gene may be associated with IHD in the Korean population.