IL-10 Gene Polymorphisms Are Associated with Post-Bronchiolitis Lung Function Abnormalities at Six Years of Age.

AIM: Interleukin-10 (IL-10) has been associated with wheezing and asthma in children and the genetic variation of the IL-10 cytokine production may be linked to post-bronchiolitis lung function. We used impulse oscillometry (IOS) to evaluate the associations of IL10 polymorphisms with lung function at a median age of 6.3 years in children hospitalised for bronchiolitis before six months of age.

METHODS: We performed baseline and post-exercise IOS on 103 former bronchiolitis patients. Data on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of IL10 rs1800896 (-1082G/A), rs1800871 (-819C/T), rs1800872 (-592C/A) were available for 99 children and of IL10 rs1800890 (-3575T/A) for 98 children.

RESULTS: IL10 rs1800896, rs1800871 and rs1800872 combined genotype AA+CT+CA and carriage of haplotype ATA, respectively, were associated with higher resistance and lower reactance in baseline IOS in adjusted analyses. At IL10 rs1800890, the A/A-genotype and carriers of A-allele were associated with lower reactance in baseline IOS. There were no significant associations between the studied SNPs and airway hyper-reactivity to exercise.

CONCLUSION: Low-IL-10-producing polymorphisms in the IL-10 encoding gene were associated with obstructive lung function parameters, suggesting an important role for IL-10 in development of lung function deficit in early bronchiolitis patients.