Interleukin-10 promoter polymorphism is associated with decreased breast cancer risk

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is an immunosuppressive cytokine which may facilitate development of cancer by supporting tumor escape from the immune response. A [TCATA] haplotype formed by polymorphisms at positions -3575, -2763, -1082, -819 and -592 in the promoter of the IL-10 gene is a strong determinant for IL-10 expression. The presence of this haplotype can be determined by analysis of the -592C > A polymorphism. Aim of the present study was to analyze the role of the IL-10 [TCATA] haplotype for breast cancer. We performed a case-control study including 500 female patients with histologically confirmed breast cancer and 500 female, age-matched, healthy control subjects from population-based screening studies. The -592C > A polymorphism was determined by a 5'-nuclease assay (TaqMan). Frequency of the homozygous -592 AA genotype, indicating homozygosity for the [TCATA] haplotype, was 4.2% among patients and 7.3% among controls (p=0.038; odds ratio 0.56; 95% confidence interval 0.32-0.97). IL-10 genotypes were not associated with tumor size, histological grading, estrogen or progesterone receptor status and age at diagnosis. Therefore we conclude that the IL-10 -592C > A promoter polymorphism may be associated with a reduced breast cancer risk.