The ROLE of IL 28 and IL 29 in the pathogenesis of SSPE

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease primarily affects children and young adults, caused by a persistent infection of defective measles virus. It is thought that factors relating to the immune system of the patient have an important role in the development of SSPE right along with viral factors. In our study gene polymorphism frequencies of IL 28B rs12979860, rs8099917 and IL29 rs30461, serum levels of IL-28B, IL-29 and expression levels of mi-548b, miR-548c and miR-548i were determined in SSPE patients and healthy volunteers. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of the pathogenesis in the SSPE of these parameters. 64 children with diagnosis of SSPE and 68 healthy children were included in the study. While there was not any statistically significant differences between the groups about serum levels of IL-28B. Serum IL-29 levels were significantly higher in SSPE group than the control group. There was not any statistically significant differences between patients and controls about genotype and distrubition of alele frequencies of IL28B rs12979860 gene polymorphism. Although there was not any statistically significant difference between patients and controls about genotype distrubition of IL28B rs8099917 gene polymorphism, allele distribution was significantly different in SSPE patients and the control group. G allele was found to increase 2183-fold risk of SSPE. There was not any statistically significant difference for the IL29 rs30461 polymorphism genotype and distribution of allele frequencies between patients and controls. There was not any significant correlation between serum levels of IL-28B, IL-29 and gene polymorphisms. The expression levels of miR-548b-5p, miR-548c-5p, miR-548i were found to be significantly higher in SSPE patients than the control group. The level of IL-29 was observed to increase dramatically in SSPE patients, compared to the control group. The expression of miR-548 is thought to be increased to compensate for the level of IL-29. Increase of miRNA expression levels are considered as an adaptation of the immune system response or as an affect of disease more than a reason of it. It is expected that the role of IL-28 and IL-29 in SSPE pathogenesis, the relations between miR548 and IL28B, IL29 and polymorphisms will be straightforward by the help of other studies with wider participations in the future.