The association between genetic variation in interleukin-10 gene and susceptibility to Henoch-Schönlein purpura in Chinese children.

Interleukin-10 (IL-10), one of the anti-inflammatory cytokines, plays a major role in the pathogenesis of Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP). In present study, we investigated the association between genetic variation in IL-10 gene and susceptibility to HSP in a Chinese childhood population. Considering the overlapping clinical manifestations during the course of disease, the relation between IL-10 gene polymorphisms and HSP clinical heterogeneity was also assessed. We analyzed three IL-10 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs3021094, rs3790622, and rs1800872) using the Sequenom MassARRAY system by means of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry method in 182 patients with HSP and 202 healthy controls. For the frequency of alleles, genotypes, and haplotypes of IL-10 SNPs, no significant differences were observed between HSP patients and controls. In addition, we did not find any association of IL-10 gene polymorphisms with the clinical manifestations of HSP. Our results suggest that genetic variation in IL-10 gene is unlikely to confer susceptibility to HSP in Chinese children.