[The role of cytokine gene polymorphisms in the development of hypertrophy of the tonsils of the lymphoid pharyngeal ring and atopic march in the children].

Interleukin 1-beta (IL-1b), its endogenous receptor antagonist (IL-1 Ra), and interleukin IL-4 have been shown to play a role in immunopathological processes, such as the development of hypertrophy of the tonsils of the lymphoid pharyngeal ring and atopic march. However, the influence of Il-1 and IL-4 gene polymorphisms as etiological factors of this pathology remains obscure. The objective of the present work was to study characteristics of gene polymorphisms of proinflammatory and proallergic cytokines depending on the degree of hypertrophy of the tonsils of the lymphoid pharyngeal ring (LPR) and atopic march to selected species of the opportunistic pathogenic biota. Polymorphisms of the following genes were investigated in the children, residents of the Kemerovo region, presenting with hypertrophic tonsils of LPR: IL-1b+3953 (C->T), IL4 (70 bp VNTR), and IL-1Ra (86 bp VNTR). IL-1b, IL-1Ra, and IL-4 genotypes were determined by PCR of autosomal DNAs obtained from 129 children presenting with hypertrophic tonsils and 41 healthy children with the use of conventional genetic-statistical methods. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated by the logistic regression models for each locus and after adjusting polymorphisms for the neighbouring loci. The 2R, 2R, Il-1Ra and T, T IL-1b genotypes occurred more frequently in the patients with isolated adenoid vegetations (20.93% and 25.58% respectively) than in the healthy children (4.95%) (OR=3.78, p=0.049; OR=3.25, p=0.047). The results of this study indicate that IL-1b and IL-1Ra gene polymorphisms play a role in the development of clinically significant features in the lymphoid pharyngeal ring.