title: -174 G/C interleukin-6 gene polymorphism and increased risk of multi-infarct dementia: a case-control study.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the -174 G/C polymorphism of interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene promoter and multi-infarct dementia (MID). We studied a group of 122 patients affected by MID and 134 age- and sex-matched controls and evaluated classical risk factors for MID, as well as the distribution of IL-6 alleles and genotypes by polymerase chain reaction and restriction enzyme analysis. The distribution of IL-6 genotypes was 63 GG, 47 GC, 12 CC in patients with MID and 29 GG, 58 GC, 47 CC in control subjects. The GG genotype was significantly more common in the MID group (P<0.0001), while the CC genotype was more common in control patients (P<0.0001). Logistic regression analysis indicated that the presence of GG genotype significantly increases the risk of MID (odds ratio 9.1 [3.1-26.1], P<0.0001). This study indicates a strong association between the -174 G/C polymorphism of the IL-6 gene and MID. Our data support the hypothesis that IL-6 and inflammatory mechanisms are important in the pathophysiology of the vascular changes responsible for cognitive deterioration.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Vascular Biology and Genetics A. Gemelli University Hospital, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore School of Medicine, Rome, Italy. rob_pola@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pola
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gaetani
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flex
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aloi
authors.forename: Pierangelo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Papaleo
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gerardino
authors.forename: Demetrio
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Martini
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Flore
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pola
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bernabei
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015161:Dementia, Multi-Infarct / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012306:Risk
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6