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©2013 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
Cytokine gene polymorphisms in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Martina Vasakova, Martina Sterclova, Department of Respiratory Medicine, 1st Medical School Charles University and Thomayer Hospital, Prague, 14059 Prague 4, Czech Republic
Libor Kolesar, Antonij Slavcev, Ilja Striz, Department of Immunology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, 14021 Prague 4, Czech Republic
Jelena Skibova, Medical Statistic Unit, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, 14021 Prague 4, Czech Republic
Martina Langova, Department of Medical Genetics, Thomayer Hospital, Prague, 14059 Prague 4, Czech Republic
Author contributions: Vasakova M designed the study, contributed to the patients’ enrolment, evaluated the results, and wrote the paper; Sterclova M coordinated the patients’ enrolment, performed the clinical investigations, and collected the data; Kolesar L and Slavcev A performed the immunogenetic investigation and evaluated the results; Skibova J performed the statistical analyses; Langova M provided the consultations in genetics and contributed to writing the manuscript; and Striz I offered the immunology lab for the immunogenetic investigation.
Supported by Grants from the Internal Grant Agency of Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic: 9131-3/2007, NS 10423-3/2009 and NT13433-4/2012
Correspondence to: Martina Vasakova, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Respiratory Medicine, 1st Medical School Charles University and Thomayer Hospital, Prague, Videnska 800, 14059 Prague 4, Czech Republic. martina.vasakova@ftn.cz
Telephone: +42-2-61082372 Fax: +42-2-61082206
Received: February 18, 2013
Revised: March 3, 2013
Accepted: March 16, 2013
Published online: March 28, 2013
Processing time: 110 Days and 1.8 Hours
Revised: March 3, 2013
Accepted: March 16, 2013
Published online: March 28, 2013
Processing time: 110 Days and 1.8 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: Enhanced fibroproliferation resulting in terminal fibrosis is the main feature of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Various mechanisms of alveolar damage and its healing are involved in IPF development. One of the potential contributing pathogenic factors is the genetically encoded imbalance of cytokine production. We found differences between the frequencies of interleukin (IL)-4 gene promoter polymorphisms in IPF patients vs controls. Based on these results and on the observation that IL-4 promoter polymorphisms can influence IL-4 production, we hypothesize that IL-4 promoter polymorphisms could be involved in the pathogenesis of IPF, likely by enhancing the Th2 cytokine milieu with subsequent fibroproliferative healing.