Polymorphic Variants of Cytokine Genes in Populations of the Arctic Zone of Russia: Predisposition to Diseases

The strategy for the development of the Arctic zone of Russia is primarily aimed at improving the quality of life of the Arctic population, health saving and reducing morbidity. The climatic and geographical conditions of the Arctic zone are extremely uncomfortable for living and cause the development of a number of diseases, as well as the polysyndrome of “northern stress”. Moreover, the Arctic population is affected by persistent organic pollutants that enter the body through a traditional diet and contribute to the development of oncological diseases by suppressing the functions of the immune system. Cytokines — proteins encoded by genes with a high degree of polymorphism, responsible for the nature of inflammatory processes, for the effectiveness of defense functions of the body in response to infections and the oncological process development — are one of the main mediators of the immune system. The distribution of polymorphisms in the cytokine genes produced by different types of cells of immune system (rs2069762 IL2, rs2243250 IL4, rs2069812 IL5, rs1800872 IL10, rs1800925 IL13, rs2275913 IL17A, rs7044343 IL33) in the populations of Nenets, Dolgan-Nganasans and Slavs was studied. Analysis of the results showed that the frequency of TG and GG genotypes rs2069762 IL2, CT genotype rs2243250 IL4, CT genotype rs2069812 IL5, TG genotype rs1800872 IL10, CC genotype rs1800925 IL13, GA genotype rs2275913 IL17A, CC rs7044343 IL33 genotype is significantly higher in Arctic populations compared to Slavs, and may be a potential genetic marker of disease development. The studied mutations are associated with the expression level of the corresponding cytokines and their production, which entails changes in the functioning of the cytokine network. It can be concluded that the indigenous inhabitants of the Russian Arctic have genetically determined rapid development of immune reactions, protection to the development of allergic diseases and resistance to the formation of malignant tumours in comparison with Slavs, i.e. the immigrant population.