THE FUNCTIONALLY IMPORTANT IL-10 PROMOTER POLYMORPHISM (-1082G-->A) IS NOT A MAJOR GENETIC REGULATOR IN RECURRENT SPONTANEOUS ABORTIONS

Enhanced secretion of anti-inflammatory Th2 cytokines is a characteristic feature in normal physiological pregnancy. In recurrent spontaneous abortions (RSA), however, defective production of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and other Th2 cytokines has been shown in humans. Association studies have shown that a base exchange polymorphism (guanine→adenine) at position –1082 of the IL-10 promoter is associated with differential IL-10 production. Since factors contributing to IL-10 production appear to be important in RSA, we studied the IL-10 genotypes of 38 Finnish women with a history of three or more consecutive abortions and 131 ethnically matched healthy controls. No significant differences in the –1082 allele or genotype frequencies were found between the controls and the RSA women. The present study suggests that the IL-10 –1082 (G→A) polymorphism is not a major genetic regulator in RSA.