Interleukin 10 gene polymorphism in Iranian patients with multiple sclerosis.

PURPOSE IL-10 suppresses several activities of the immune response by inhibition of Th1 and Th2 cells. METHODS We studied 110 Iranian patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS) and 100 ethnic and age matched controls. Three single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the proximal region of IL-10 promoter gene (-1082/-819/-592) were analysed by amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods. RESULTS The -1082 (G/A), -819 (T/C) and -592 (A/C) genotypes were similarly distributed between MS patients and the controls. There was no statistically significant difference in the allelic and genotype distribution between patients and controls. In addition, gender, course and progression index did not reveal any statistically significant differences in the allele and genotype distribution of IL-10 polymorphisms. CONCLUSION As a non-European patient population, according to our results, IL10 polymorphism is not associated with MS and its subtypes nor influences the disease progression.