Interleukin-6 (IL6) genotype is associated with fat-free mass in men but not women.
We studied the association of the G-174C promoter polymorphism in the interleukin-6 gene (IL6) with total body fat and fat-free mass (FFM) in 242 men and women (IL6 genotypes: G/G, n = 87; G/C, n = 100; C/C, n = 55) across the adult age span (21-92 years). In men, but not women (significant genotype by sex interactions; p =.023-.048), the C/C group exhibited significantly lower total FFM than the G/G group (54.7 +/- 0.8 kg vs 57.2 +/- 0.7 kg, respectively, p =.020), as well as significantly lower FFM of the lower limbs compared with the G/G group (18.4 +/- 0.3 kg vs 19.8 +/- 0.3 kg, respectively, p =.004). No significant genotype differences were observed in total body fat mass in either men or women. The results indicate that the IL6 G-174C polymorphism is significantly associated with FFM in men but not women.
Roth
Stephen M
SM
Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. sroth1@umd.edu
Schrager
Matthew A
MA
Lee
Mechele R
MR
Metter
E Jeffrey
EJ
Hurley
Ben F
BF
Ferrell
Robert E
RE
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics*; D000886:Anthropometry; D001823:Body Composition / Q000235:genetics*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018763:Muscle Fatigue / Q000235:genetics*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011336:Probability; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors
D015850:Interleukin-6