Opposite effects of interleukin 10 common gene polymorphisms in cardiovascular diseases and in successful ageing: genetic background of male centenarians is protective against coronary heart disease

[...]patients with atherosclerosis have a proinflammatory phenotype, so control of inflammation might have a role in protecting against the complications of atherosclerosis, including acute myocardial infarction. 4- 6 Acute myocardial infarction may occur as a result of erosion or uneven thinning and rupture of fibrous caps, often at the shoulder of lesions, where macrophages enter, accumulate, and are activated and where apoptosis may occur. 4- 9 Genetic traits contribute significantly to the risk of coronary heart disease, 10 so a number of studies have looked at the hypothesis that variations in genes of the immune system may increase the risk of disease. 11, 12 Differences in the genetic regulation of inflammatory processes might partially explain why some people but not others develop the disease and why some develop a greater inflammatory response than others. [...]common gene polymorphisms that control high production of inflammatory molecules have been associated with atherosclerosis, and good control of inflammation might play a protective role against atherosclerosis. 11- 13 In addition, a variety of studies has shown that interleukin 10 (IL-10) plays a crucial role in the regulation of inflammation.