Interleukin 10 Receptor Alpha Subunit (IL-10RA) Gene Polymorphism and IL-10 Serum Levels in Egyptian Atopic Patients

Objectives. To assess the value of serum interleukin (IL) 10 levels as an immunological marker in atopy and to determine the role of an IL-10RA gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (serine 138-to-glycine exchange {[}S138G]) in the pathogenesis of atopic diseases. Methods, Seventy-five patients with atopic disorders were compared with 25 age-matched healthy volunteers. Serum total immunoglobulin (Ig) E and IL-10 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the IL-10RA gene S138G variant was screened by multiplex allele-specific polymerase chain reaction. Results: There was a significant association between G allele frequencies of the S138G variant (62\%, 60\% and 68\% for atopic asthma, atopic dermatitis, and allergic rhinitis, respectively) in atopic patients compared to in controls. There were significant differences in mean IgE levels but not mean serum IL-10 levels between the allelic variants in atopy groups. Conclusion:The IL-10RA gene SNP S138G may contribute to susceptibility to atopic diseases but serum IL-10 level is not a sensitive indicator in atopy.