Lack of association between the IL1A gene (-889) polymorphism and outcome after head injury

Tanriverdi, Taner; Uzan, Mustafa; Sanus, Galip Zihni; Baykara, Onur; Is, Merih; Ozkara, Cigdem; Buyra, Nur

doi:10.1016/j.surneu.2005.05.024

« Previous Next »Surgical Neurology
Volume 65, Issue 1 , Pages 7-10, January 2006

Lack of association between the IL1A gene (-889) polymorphism and outcome after head injury

Taner Tanriverdi, MD
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
Mustafa Uzan, MD
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
- Corresponding author. PO Box 5, Cerrahpasa, 34301 Istanbul, Turkey. Tel.: +90 212 414 34 27; fax: +90 212 414 34 27.
Galip Zihni Sanus, MD
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
Onur Baykara, MSc
- Department of Medical Biology, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
Merih Is, MD
- Department of Neurology, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
Cigdem Ozkara, MD
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Faculty, Duzce Izzet Baysal University, Duzce, Turkey
Nur Buyra, PhD
- Department of Medical Biology, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

Received 1 November 2004; accepted 16 May 2005.

Abstract

Background

Interleukin (IL) 1 is a proinflammatory cytokine that has been identified as an important mediator of neurodegeneration induced by ischemia or traumatic brain injury. Accumulating evidence to date has suggested that the major cytokine contributing to neurodegeneration after head injury is IL-1β rather than IL-1α; however, there is no sufficient data regarding IL-1α in literature, and there may be an association between IL1A gene polymorphism and outcome after head injury.

Methods

We performed a prospective clinical study and included a recruited series of 71 patients who had head injury and were admitted to our neurosurgical unit. Severity of initial injury was assessed by the Glasgow Coma Scale. Outcome at 6 months after injury was assessed by means of the Glasgow Outcome Score. Interleukin 1α genotypes were determined from blood samples by standard methods.

Results

Of 40 patients with IL1A*2, 18 (45%) had an unfavorable outcome (dead, vegetative state, or severe disability) compared with 7 (22.5%) of 31 without IL1A*2 (P = .08).

Conclusion

Our findings show that there is no genetic association between IL1A gene polymorphism and outcome after head injury. Further clinical studies should be designed to confirm and further evaluate these findings.

Abbreviations: AD, Alzheimer disease, CT, Computed tomography, FML, Focal mass lesion, GCS, Glasgow Coma Scale, GOS, Glasgow Outcome Score, HI, Head injury, IL-1α, Interleukin 1α, IL-1β, Interleukin 1β, PD, Parkinson disease