Relevance of Fcγ Receptor and Interleukin-10 Polymorphisms for Meningococcal Disease

The contribution of individual Fcy receptor (FcyR) subclasses to meningococcal phagocytosis was studied. In addition, functional FcyR polymorphisms were determined in 50 patients with meningococcal disease (MD), in 183 first-degree relatives of MD patients, and in 239 healthy control subjects, to study the association of FcyR genotypes with disease. Efficient internalization of opsonized Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B was mediated via multiple FcyR subclasses on phagocytes. Accordingly, a low-efficiency combination of FcγRIIa-R/R131, FcγRIIIa-F/F158, and FcγRIIIb-NA2/2 genotypes was increased significantly in relatives of patients with MD, compared with healthy control subjects (P <.05; odds ratio, 2.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-6.3). FcγRIIa and FcγRIIIa genotype distributions differed between patients with sepsis and those with meningitis. Combined genotypes of FcγRIIa and interleukin-10 -1082, which was previously reported as being associated with MD outcome, were distributed randomly in control subjects but not in relatives of patients with MD (P <.01). These data provide further evidence for the association of polymorphic genes on chromosome 1 and MD.