Association of polymorphisms of interleukin-1 beta gene and Helicobacter pylori infection with the risk of gastric ulcer.
OBJECTIVE
Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) plays an important role in gastric inflammation and physiology. Functional polymorphisms of IL-1 beta gene have been related to different risks of gastric cancer and duodenal ulcer but their role in gastric ulcer remains unknown. In this study, we investigate a plausible association between gastric ulcer and the polymorphisms in the IL-1 beta and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RN) genes. The relationships among the cytokine genotyping, other environmental risks such as Helicobacter pylori infection and smoking, and clinical characteristics of gastric ulcer were also determined.


METHODS
Peripheral blood DNAs from 120 unrelated Taiwan Chinese patients with gastric ulcer and 238 ethnically matched healthy controls were genotyped for the promoter (position -31 and -511) and Taq I polymorphism (position +3954) in the IL-1 beta gene and the variable number of tandem repeats polymorphisms in intron 2 of the IL-1RN gene. The status of Helicobacter pylori infection was determined by serology.


RESULTS
The seropositive rate of Helicobacter pylori (95/120 vs. 134/238, OR: 2.95, 95%CI 1.77-4.91), habitual smoking (67/120 vs. 82/238, OR: 2.40, 95%CI 1.54-3.77) and blood group O (63/120 vs. 98/238, OR: 1.55, 95%CI 1.0-2.41) were significantly higher in patients with gastric ulcer than controls. The distributions of allele frequencies of IL-1 beta (-31 C/T or -511 C/T or +3954) and IL-1RN were similar between patients with gastric ulcer and controls. No significant differences were observed, including those analyzed after stratification of the infected population and by the ulcer subgroup.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggested that Helicobacter pylori infection, cigarette smoking, and blood group O are risk factors of gastric ulcer and IL-1 beta or IL-1RN polymorphisms do not influence susceptibility to gastric ulcer in a Taiwanese population.
Chang
Yu-Ting
YT
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Wu
Ming-Shiang
MS
Shun
Chia-Tung
CT
Lin
Ming-Tsan
MT
Chang
Ming-Chu
MC
Lin
Jaw-Town
JT
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*
D007375:Interleukin-1