International trial of the Edmonton protocol for islet transplantation.

Background: Islet transplantation offers the potential to improve glycemic control in a subgroup of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus who are disabled by refractory hypoglycemia. We conducted an international, multicenter trial to explore the feasibility and reproducibility of islet transplantation with the use of a single common protocol (the Edmonton protocol).

Methods: We enrolled 36 subjects with type 1 diabetes mellitus, who underwent islet transplantation at nine international sites.

Ethnicity greatly influences cytokine gene polymorphism distribution.

Polymorphisms in the regulatory regions of cytokine genes are associated with high and low cytokine production and may modulate the magnitude of alloimmune responses following transplantation. Ethnicity influences allograft half-life and the incidence of acute and chronic rejection. We have questioned whether ethnic-based differences in renal allograft survival could be due in part to inheritance of cytokine polymorphisms.

Association of cytokine polymorphic inheritance and in vitro cytokine production in anti-CD3/CD28-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes.

Background: Genetic variations in cytokine genes are thought to regulate cytokine protein production. However, studies using T cell mitogens have not always demonstrated a significant relationship between cytokine polymorphisms and in vitro protein production. Furthermore, the functional consequence of a polymorphism at position -330 in the IL-2 gene has not been described.

Cytokine polymorphic analyses indicate ethnic differences in the allelic distribution of interleukin-2 and interleukin-6.

Background: Polymorphisms in the regulatory regions of cytokine genes affect protein production and are associated with allograft outcome. Ethnic origin has been identified as a significant prognostic factor for several immune-mediated diseases and for outcome after allotransplantation. A clear relationship between cytokine polymorphisms and ethnicity has not been shown.