Haplotype-tagging interleukin-10 promoter polymorphism is associated with reduced risk of retinal artery occlusion

Purpose Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin 10 (IL-10), play an essential role in atherogenesis. Increased IL-10 production has been found among carriers of the IL10 [TCATA] haplotype, which is formed by five polymorphisms at position -3575, -2763, -1082, -819, and -592 in the promoter region of the IL10 gene. Due to linkage disequilibrium, the presence of the [TCATA] haplotype can be unequivocally determined by analysis of the IL10-592C>A polymorphism. The purpose of the present study was to investigate a hypothesized association between the haplotype-tagging IL10 -592C>A polymorphism and the presence of retinal artery occlusion (RAO).