Analysis of interleukin-18 gene single nucleotide polymorphism and haplotype in Zhuang and Han populations in Guangxi Province

Objective To study the frequencies of allele and genotype distribution of interleukin-18 (IL-18) gene promoter-137 G/C,-607 C/A polymorphisms and its haplotypes in Zhuang and Han populations in Guangxi Province, and to analyze the distributions of IL-18 polymorphism and its haplotypes among different races. Methods The IL-18 gene-137 G/C and-607 C/A polymorphisms was examined by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and DNA sequencing methods in 160 Zhuang and 150 Han populations. The frequencies of allele, genotype and haplotype of IL-18 gene were compared between Zhuangs and Hans and with other ethnics group.Results The frequencies of allele, genotype and haplotype distribution of IL-18 gene were not significantly different between the Zhuangs and the Hans (P0.05). Compared with European populations, the IL-18 polymorphisms and its haplotypes were significantly different (P0.05). Conclusion There are IL-18 gene polymorphisms in Zhuang and Han populations in Guangxi Province. The frequencies of single nucleotide polymorphism and haplotype distribution of IL-18 gene were not significantly different between the Zhuang and Han populations, but their distributions are significantly different from others ethnic populations. The variation of IL-18 gene polymorphism among different ethnic groups might account for the diverse clinical spectrum of some IL-18 related diseases.