97-P

Abstract

In an earlier study, we have shown that low IL-10 producing genotypes are strongly associated with graft inflammation and histological indicators of chronic allograft failure (CAF), but no association was found with any of the expression affecting polymorphisms in the genes encoding 8 pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, neither our earlier study nor any other report in the literature has analyzed role of IL-17 gene polymorphism in predisposing renal transplant recipients to CAF. Given the emerging concept that IL-17 is an important pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays a role not only in renal allograft failure but in various chronic inflammatory diseases, here we set out to assess the association of different IL-17 gene polymorphisms with histological indicators of CAF. A total of 190 renal transplant recipients were recruited. Eleven individual histological parameters and the combined grade of interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy scored in 6-12 month post-transplant surveillance biopsies. Five distinct polymorphisms in IL17F gene (−1507C/T rs1889570, 1165A/G rs1266828, 5046C/T rs7771511, 6328G/A rs766748, and 7488A/G rs763780) were genotyped in the reference samples by direct sequencing followed by genotyping of all kidney transplant patients using PCR-sequence specific primer (PCR-SSP) method. Both Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to assess the association. Weak statistical associations of alleles and genotypes of IL17F 1165 and allele −1507T was observed with glomerular sclerosis and interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy respectively. Though, when more stringent criteria like bonferroni’s correction were applied, none of five SNPs showed association with any of the histological parameters. Our results clearly show a lack of association of IL17F SNPs with CAF. The results corroborates with our earlier finding that genetic predisposition to low/high production of pro-inflammatory cytokines is not a good predictive marker for CAF.