A MIF haplotype is associated with the outcome of patients with severe sepsis: a case control study

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) plays an important regulatory role in sepsis. In the promoter region a C/G single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at position -173 (rs755622) and a CATT5-8 microsatellite at position -794 are related to modified promoter activity.

The purpose of the study was to analyze their association with the incidence and outcome of severe sepsis.

Methods: Genotype distributions and allele frequencies in 169 patients with severe sepsis, 94 healthy blood donors and 183 postoperative patients without signs of infection or inflammation were analyzed by real time PCR and Sequence analysis. All included individuals were Caucasians.

Results: Genotype distribution and allele frequencies of severe sepsis patients were comparable to both control groups.

However, the genotype and allele frequencies of both polymorphisms were associated significantly with the outcome of severe sepsis. The highest risk of dying from severe sepsis was detectable in patients carrying a haplotype with the alleles -173 C and CATT7 (p=0.0005, fisher exact test, RR= 1,806, CI: 1.337 to 2.439).

Conclusions: The haplotype with the combination of the -173 C allele and the -794 CATT7 allele may not serve as a marker for susceptibility to sepsis, but may help identify septic patients at risk of dying.

Author: Lutz LehmannMalte BookWolfgang HartmannStefan WeberJens-Christian ScheweSven KlaschikAndreas HoeftFrank Stueber
Credits/Source: Journal of Translational Medicine 2009, 7:100

Published on: 2009-11-26

Copyright by the authors listed above - made available via BioMedCentral (Open Access). Please make sure to read our disclaimer prior to contacting 7thSpace Interactive. To contact our editors, visit our online helpdesk. If you wish submit your own press release, click here.

Comments Page 0 of 0

There are currently 0 comments to display.

+ Add New Comment

Custom Search