Genetic variant predicts poor response to bypass surgery

Research published in BioMed Central’s open access journal Critical Care links the TT genotype of the IL-18 9545 T/G polymorphism with a larger pro-inflammatory response.

Professor Keith Walley worked with a team of researchers from the University of British Columbia, Canada, to investigate associations between the IL-18 haplotype and post-surgery inflammatory phenotype in 658 patients undergoing CPB. He said, “Inflammatory gene polymorphisms have been linked to the intensity of the post-operative inflammatory response and to clinical outcomes after CPB surgery. Here, we’ve found an IL-18 variant that is associated with increased IL-18 levels and adverse outcomes.”

IL-18 is known to increase levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-a, while reducing levels of the anti-inflammatory IL-10. The TT genotype of the IL-18 9545 T/G polymorphism is believed by the authors to cause an increase in expression of IL-18. Their research confirmed this mechanism and, according to Walley, “The resulting inflammatory response may account for the adverse clinical outcomes associated with the TT genotype post-surgery”.

In the cohort studied, the TT genotype was carried by 58% of the subjects, 34% were GT and 8% were GG. Apart from a small difference in body mass index, there were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the groups.

Media Contact

Graeme Baldwin alfa

All latest news from the category: Life Sciences and Chemistry

Articles and reports from the Life Sciences and chemistry area deal with applied and basic research into modern biology, chemistry and human medicine.

Valuable information can be found on a range of life sciences fields including bacteriology, biochemistry, bionics, bioinformatics, biophysics, biotechnology, genetics, geobotany, human biology, marine biology, microbiology, molecular biology, cellular biology, zoology, bioinorganic chemistry, microchemistry and environmental chemistry.

Back to home

Comments (0)

Write a comment

Newest articles

Lighting up the future

New multidisciplinary research from the University of St Andrews could lead to more efficient televisions, computer screens and lighting. Researchers at the Organic Semiconductor Centre in the School of Physics and…

Researchers crack sugarcane’s complex genetic code

Sweet success: Scientists created a highly accurate reference genome for one of the most important modern crops and found a rare example of how genes confer disease resistance in plants….

Evolution of the most powerful ocean current on Earth

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current plays an important part in global overturning circulation, the exchange of heat and CO2 between the ocean and atmosphere, and the stability of Antarctica’s ice sheets….

Partners & Sponsors