Interleukin-10 promoter polymorphisms and cervical cancer risk in Korean women

The aims of this study were to determine whether polymorphisms of the interleukin (IL)-10 promoter might be associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer, and further whether systemic IL-10 concentration might be influenced by the genotypes in Korean women. Peripheral blood samples from patients with invasive cervical cancer (ICC, n=144) and non-cancer controls (NCC, n=179) were used to detect three biallelic IL-10 promoter polymorphisms at −1082, −819, and −592 sites by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay using MnlI, MaeIII and RsaI, respectively. The IL-10 serum concentration was measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We compared the distribution of genotypes in both groups, evaluated the serum IL-10 level according to the genotypes, and analyzed the association of these polymorphisms with the risk of cervical cancer. The genotype at the −1082 site exhibited only the *A homozygote, and only two haplotypes were found in Korean women, one being −1082*A/−819*T/−592*A (ATA) and the other −1082*A/−819*C/−592*C (ACC). No association was found for IL-10 promoter polymorphisms among the ICC patients in comparison with the NCC subjects. The risk of cervical cancer was not increased in either genotype and the IL-10 serum concentration was not influenced by the genotypes in either group. Polymorphisms of the IL-10 promoter do not appear to be associated with cervical cancer risk or systemic IL-10 production in Korean women.