Elsevier

Respiratory Medicine

Volume 102, Issue 12, December 2008, Pages 1805-1811
Respiratory Medicine

Association of IL-6 gene polymorphisms and COPD in a Spanish Population

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2008.06.012Get rights and content
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Summary

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a potential mediator of systemic effects of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

In the present case–control study we investigated the association of promoter polymorphisms of this gene and COPD in a cohort of 191 patients, smokers without COPD (n = 75) and a healthy control population (n = 296). Besides spirometry, exercise capacity (6MWD, 6 min walking distance) and body mass index (BMI) were measured in COPD patients. Genotyping of the IL-6 polymorphisms at positions −174, −572 and −597 was performed.

The −597G/A and −174G/C polymorphisms were not associated with the disease. However, the −572G/C polymorphism was significantly associated with COPD susceptibility under a dominant model of inheritance. The frequency of the genotypes containing the C allele was significantly lower in the COPD cases (9.9%) compared with the healthy control group (16.9%) and smokers (23.1%), (OR = 0.46, p = 0.032 and OR = 0.28, p = 0.012, respectively). The GCG (−597/−572/−174) haplotype was significantly associated with the disease (OR = 0.37, p = 0.022, COPD cases vs. healthy subjects and OR = 0.17, p = 0.011, COPD cases vs. smokers). Moreover, a borderline association was also found for the −572G allele and hypoxemia (PaO2 < 60 mmHg) (p = 0.05). Our data suggest that the IL-6 −572C allele may confer a diminished risk of developing COPD.

Keywords

COPD
Interleukin 6
Haplotype
Pathogenesis
Polymorphism

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