Associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms and haplotypes in cytokine and cytokine receptor genes and immunity to measles vaccination.

Identification of host genetic determinants of measles vaccine-induced immunity can be used to design better vaccines and ultimately predict immune responses to vaccination. We performed a comprehensive candidate gene association study across 801 genetic markers in 56 cytokine/cytokine receptor genes, in a racially diverse cohort of 745 schoolchildren after two doses of MMR vaccine. Using linear regression methodologies we examined associations between SNPs/haplotypes and measles virus-specific immunity. Forty-eight significant SNP associations with variations in neutralizing antibodies and measles-specific IFNγ Elispot responses were identified (p<0.05). Our study replicated an important previously found association of a functional IL12B genetic variant rs3212227 with variations in measles-specific humoral immunity (p=0.037). Similarly, two previously reported promoter IL10 and IL2 polymorphisms (rs1800890 and rs2069762) demonstrated associations with measles-specific cellular immunity in Caucasians (p≤0.034). Multiple IL7R polymorphisms, including a non-synonymous functional SNP (rs6897932/Thr244Ile), were associated with humoral (p≤0.024) and/or cellular (IFNγ Elispot, p≤0.023) measles-specific immune responses in Caucasians, but not African-Americans. Haplotype level analysis confirmed the association of IL7R genetic variants with measles vaccine-induced immunity in the Caucasian group (global p-value=0.003). Our results validate previous findings and identify new plausible genetic determinants, including IL7R polymorphisms, regulating measles vaccine-induced immunity in a race-specific manner.