Interleukin-10 gene promoter region polymorphisms are not associated with BCG osteitis in vaccinated infants

Complications arising from bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination were recorded in a national register in Finland until 1988. In the period 1960-1988, 222 patients suffered from BCG osteitis.

To evaluate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter region of the gene encoding interleukin 10 (IL-10) are associated with BCG osteitis after vaccination in neonates.

Blood samples of 132 former BCG osteitis patients now aged 21-49 years were analysed in a controlled study for IL10 rs1800896 (-1082G/A), rs1800871 (-819C/T), rs1800872 (-592C/A) and rs1800890 (-3575T/A) polymorphisms.

The frequencies of genotypes of IL10 rs1800896, rs1800871, rs1800872 and rs1800890, the frequencies of variant genotypes and the frequencies of major or minor alleles did not differ between patients and controls. Furthermore, the frequencies of the eight possible combinations of the three IL10 alleles located close to each other (IL10 rs1800896, IL10 rs1800871 and IL10 rs1800872) were surprisingly similar.

Our results suggest that polymorphisms of the IL-10 encoding gene do not play a central role in the development of complications due to BCG vaccination, although the IL10 gene, especially IL10 rs1800896 (-1082G/A) polymorphism, is known to be associated with tuberculosis risk in Europeans and North Americans.