Clinical relevance of 13 cytokine gene polymorphisms in Chinese major trauma patients

Purpose To determine the clinical relevance of 13 reported common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of cytokine genes in patients with major trauma. Methods Thirteen SNPs in nine key cytokine genes were selected for association study in 308 patients with major trauma on the basis of previous functional or association data. An allele-specific oligonucleotide array was developed and used to genotype 308 patients with major trauma. The clinical relevance of the 13 SNPs was assessed by observation of cytokine production and outcome of trauma patients. Results Results from the allele-specific oligonucleotide array indicated that 8 [interleukin-1β (IL-1β)/-1470, IL-1β/-511, IL-1β/-31, IL-4/-589, IL-6/-572, IL-8/-251, IL-10/-819, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)/-308] out of the 13 SNPs were associated with respective ex vivo cytokine production by peripheral leukocytes in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation at admission, or risk of development of sepsis or organ dysfunction in major trauma patients. Patients with more than four risk alleles of the eight SNPs had more than 50% sepsis morbidity and more severe organ dysfunction. Conclusions Polymorphisms of IL-1β/-1470, IL-1β/-511, IL-1β/-31, IL-4/-589, IL-6/-572, IL-8/-251, IL-10/-819, and TNFα/-308 are susceptibility loci for the development of sepsis and organ dysfunction in major trauma patients.