High interleukin-4 expression and interleukin-4 gene polymorphisms are
associated with susceptibility to human paracoccidioidomycosis |
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Authors: | M?nica Sawan Mendon?a Terezinha S Pera?olli Mário León Silva-Vergara Sílvio C Ribeiro Rafael Faria Oliveira Rinaldo Poncio Mendes Virmondes Rodrigues Jr |
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Affiliation: | 1.Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Laboratório de Imunologia, Uberaba, MG, Brasil;2.Universidade Estadual Paulista, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Botucatu, SP, Brasil |
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Abstract: | Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is caused by dimorphic fungi fromtheParacoccidioides brasiliensis complex. Previous studies havedemonstrated that the severity of disease is associated with a T-helper 2 immuneresponse characterised by high interleukin (IL)-4 production. In the present study weanalysed two polymorphisms in the IL-4 gene (-590 C/T and intron-3microsatellite) in 76 patients with PCM and 73 control subjects from an endemic area.The production of IL-4 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells after antigen orphytohaemagglutinin stimulation was determined by ELISA. A significant correlationwas observed between the RP2/RP2 intron-3 genotype and infection withParacoccidioides sp. (p = 0.011), whereas the RP1/RP1 genotypewas correlated with resistance. No significant correlation was observed forthe IL-4 promoter polymorphism. Furthermore, the low IL-4expression observed in the control group compared with patients was associated withthe RP1/RP1 genotype. These results suggest that IL-4polymorphismsmight be associated with the ability of the host to control Paracoccidioidessp. infection. The relevance of this polymorphism is supported by theobservation that patients with disease produce high levels of IL-4 following mitogenor antigen stimulation. The IL-4 gene is located in the cytokinecluster region of chromosome 5 where other polymorphisms have also beendescribed. |
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Keywords: | gene polymorphism IL-4 Paracoccidioides brasiliensis paracoccidioidomycosis |
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