Interleukin-10 but not interleukin-18 may be associated with the immune response against well-differentiated thyroid cancer

Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2011;66(7):1203-8. doi: 10.1590/s1807-59322011000700014.

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the interleukin-18 +105A/C and interleukin-10 -1082A/G germline polymorphisms in the development and outcome of differentiated thyroid carcinoma associated or not with concurrent thyroiditis.

Methods: We studied 346 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinomas, comprising 292 papillary carcinomas and 54 follicular carcinomas, who were followed up for 12-298 months (mean 76.10 ± 68.23 months) according to a standard protocol. We genotyped 200 patients and 144 control individuals for the interleukin-18 +105A/C polymorphism, and we genotyped 183 patients and 137 controls for the interleukin-10 -1082A/G polymorphism.

Results: Interleukin-18 polymorphisms were not associated with chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis or any clinical or pathological feature of tumor aggressiveness. However, there was an association between the presence of interleukin-10 variants and chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. Chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis was present in 21.74% of differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients, most frequently affecting women previously diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis who had received a lower 131I cumulative dose and did not present lymph node metastases.

Conclusions: We conclude that the inheritance of a G allele at the interleukin-10 -1082A/G polymorphism may favor a concurrent thyroid autoimmunity in differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients, and this autoimmunity may favor a better prognosis for these patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Alleles
  • Carcinoma / genetics*
  • Carcinoma / immunology
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Hashimoto Disease / genetics
  • Hashimoto Disease / immunology
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-10 / genetics*
  • Interleukin-10 / immunology
  • Interleukin-18 / genetics*
  • Interleukin-18 / immunology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / immunology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Interleukin-18
  • Interleukin-10