Relationship between coronary heart disease and polymorphisms of interleukin-6 gene

Objective To investigate the association between -174 G/C -634C/G of interleukin-6 gene polymorphism and coronary heart disease in Chinese population.Methods The genotype and allele frequency of interleukin-6 gene polymorphisms was assayed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 199 patients with evident of CHD and 189 healthy individuals. The relation of gene polymorphisms of interleukin-6 and levels of serum lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins were also studied.Results The IL-6 -174 G allele was detected in 0.99 of normal controls and 0.99 of patients, while IL-6 -174 C allele was detected in 0.01of normal controls and 0.01 of patients. The IL-6( -634C) allele was detected in 0.82 of normal controls and 0.76 of patients, while IL-6 -634G allele was detected in 0.18 of normal controls and 0.24 of patients. The frequencies of GG genotype and IL-6 -634G allele were higher in coronary heart disease than in controls ( P 0.05 ).Conclusion These results suggest that the interleukin-6 gene -174G/C polymorphism was not related to CHD. But -634C/G polymorphism was associated with CHD in Chinese population. The -634G allele might be a risk factor for CHD.