Correlations of IL-6 and IL-10 gene polymorphisms with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlations between interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10 gene polymorphisms with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Specimens were collected from 200 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (disease group) and 200 normal children (control group) in our hospital. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood nucleated cells in both groups to detect the gene polymorphisms rs2069830 and rs2069836 of IL-6, as well as rs3024489 and rs3024493 of IL-10. Then, the content of serum IL-6 and IL-10 was determined via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: It was found that there were differences in the distribution of alleles of IL-6 gene polymorphism rs2069830 (p=0.000) and IL-10 gene polymorphism rs3024493 (p=0.007) between the disease group and control group. The frequency of T allele of IL-6 gene polymorphism rs2069830 was higher, while that of IL-10 gene polymorphism rs3024493 was lower in the disease group. Besides, the differences in the distribution of genotypes of IL-6 gene polymorphism rs2069830 (p=0.000) and IL-10 gene polymorphism rs3024493 (p=0.000) were also observed between the disease group and control group. Moreover, the disease group had higher frequencies of TT genotype of IL-6 gene polymorphism rs2069830 and TA genotype of IL-10 gene polymorphism rs3024493. The frequencies of dominant model of IL-6 gene polymorphism rs2069830 (p=0.048) and recessive model of IL-10 gene polymorphism rs3024493 (p=0.000) in the disease group were different from those in the control group. In addition, the frequency of CC + CT dominant model of IL-6 gene polymorphism rs2069830 was lower, and the frequency of TA + AA recessive model of IL-10 gene polymorphism rs3024493 was higher in the disease group. There were differences in haplotypes CG (p=0.001), CT (p=0.007), and TG (p=0.000) of IL-6 gene, as well as haplotypes AA (p=0.002) and AT (p=0.005) of IL-10 gene between disease group and control group. Furthermore, the content of IL-6 in the serum was associated with the genotypes of IL-6 gene polymorphism rs2069830 (p<0.05), whereas the children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia carrying CT genotype had remarkably higher content of serum IL-6. The genotypes of IL-6 gene polymorphism rs2069830 was notably related to white blood cell (WBC) (p=0.002), and the WBC level was higher in children with CT genotype. The genotypes of IL-10 gene polymorphism rs3024489 had prominent correlations with platelet (PLT) (p=0.043), and the children with AA genotype had a higher PLT level. In addition, the genotypes of IL-10 gene polymorphism rs3024493 were evidently correlated with hemoglobin, which was significantly higher in children carrying TA genotype. CONCLUSIONS: The gene polymorphisms of IL-6 and IL-10 are significantly correlated with the susceptibility to and pathogenesis of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.