Frequency distribution of interleukin-10 haplotypes (-1082 A>G, -819 C>T, and -592 C>A) in a Mexican population.

Interleukin 10 (IL-10) is an immunoregulatory cytokine with multiple roles in the immune system. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms at positions -1082 (A>G), -819 (C>T), and -592 (C>A) in the promoter region of the IL10 gene are believed to be associated with different inflammatory, infectious, and autoimmune diseases. These polymorphisms exhibit a strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) and form three principal haplotypes (GCC, ACC, and ATA). The GCC and ATA haplotypes have been associated with high and low levels of IL-10 production, respectively. The aim of this study was to establish the allele and haplotype frequencies of the IL10 polymorphisms in Mestizos from western Mexico. SNPs were analyzed in 340 healthy unrelated Mestizos from western Mexico by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The studied population presented significant differences, in the distribution of IL10 polymorphisms, from the Asian, African, and European populations. We also observed a strong LD within -1082 A>G, -819 C>T, and -592 C>A (100% pc = 7.735 x 10-18). The haplotypes ACC (45.4%), ATA (22.0%), GTA (14.9%), and GCC (13.9%) were most frequently observed in this population. The haplotype frequencies, however, differed from those reported previously in Mestizos from central Mexico, Asians, Africans, and European Caucasians, suggesting a differential gene flow in the Mexican Mestizo population. This could account for the genetic variability between Mexicans and populations of other ethnicities. The study of these polymorphisms and their haplotypes could help in expanding our knowledge to design future disease-risk studies on the western Mexican population.