| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立中興大學 === 生命科學院碩士在職專班 === 93 === Lupus nephritis is a serious complication of systemic lupus erythematosus. Previous studies have indicated that the cytokine promoter single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is correlated with pathogenesis of lupus nephritis. The goals of this study are therefore to investigate the correlation between SNP of IL-18 promoter -607 and pathogenesis of lupus nephritis. Data were analysed by an SPSS 10.0 softwave. Serum IL-18 concentrations of 165 SLE patients with (lupus nephritis) and without nephritis and 174 normal controls were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Serum IL-18 concentrations were significantly higher in SLE, and no difference was observed between patients with or without nephritis than in controls (P<0.001). Gene polymorphism of IL-18 promoter -607 between SLE patients with and without nephritis and normal controls was assayed by polymorease chain reaction - restriction fragment lengh polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), before evaluating the relationship among pathological classification, serum IL-18 level and activity/chronicity index with gene polymorphism of IL-18 promoter -607. Our results showed that the frequency of AA genotype in SLE patients without nephritis was significantly higher than those in lupus nephritis patients (P=0.008). On the other hand, the frequency of CA genotype in lupus nephritis patients was significantly higher than those in SLE patients without nephritis (P=0.038). The frequency of AA genotype in patients with WHO class III lupus nephritis was significantly higher than those with classIV and class V (P=0.025). Serum IL-18 concentration in lupus nephritis patients with CA genotype was higher than those in lupus nephritis patients with AA genotype. No correlation between pathological activity/chronicity index and genotype or serum IL-18 concentrations was identified. In conclusion, SLE patients with IL-18 promoter -607＊CA genotype have higher serum IL-18 concentrations,and can easily develope into lupus nephritis. SLE patients with the AA genotype may have lower incidence of lupus nephritis. Our data suggest that CA genotype at position -607 of IL-18 promoter might be a genetic risk factor for lupus nephritis in Chinese.
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