A single nucleotide polymorphism in the Mdm2 promoter and risk of sepsis

BACKGROUND: The Mdm2-SNP309(T/G) polymorphism has been shown to upregulate transcription of Mdm2 and subsequently attenuate the p53 pathway. Its role in regulating the human response to acute illness has not been reported. METHODS: Patients from the surgical intensive care unit were prospectively enrolled. SNP309 genotype was determined, and a genotype-based comparison of clinical outcomes was performed. RESULTS: Of the 95 enrolled patients, 41 had wild type (T/T) and 44 had mutant (32 T/G and 12 G/G) genotypes. The mutant-genotype group tended to have a longer LOS in both the surgical intensive care unit (P=.40) and the hospital (P=.08), but these trends did not reach significance. No observable genotype-based differences were noted in my other measured parameters. CONCLUSIONS: The Mdm2-SNP309(G) allele may be associated with longer LOS. However, it does not appear to influence any other clinical characteristics, nor can it be used-to predict clinical outcome. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.