Interleukin-6 gene polymorphism and risk of osteoarthritis of the hip: a case-control study.
OBJECTIVE
Osteoarthritis (OA) is considered a polygenic disease controlled by the expression of genetic factors. Genes encoding for cytokines have been associated with susceptibility for joint OA and interleukin (IL)-6 gene is also supposed to be involved in the cartilage degradation process. In this case-control study, we evaluated for the first time whether the risk of hip OA might be influenced by the -174 IL-6 gene polymorphism.


METHODS
The distribution of IL-6 genotypes was evaluated in 75 patients affected by hip OA and in 107 age- and sex-matched controls.


RESULTS
The distribution of IL-6 genotypes in (1) patients with hip OA: 33 GG, 30 GC, 12 CC and (2) control subjects: 34 GG, 40 GC, 33 CC. The frequency of the CC genotype was significantly higher in control patients (P=0.02). Logistic regression analysis indicated that the presence of the CC genotype is independently associated with a decreased risk of OA (odds ratio 0.4 [95% confidence interval 0.1-0.9], P=0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
Primary OA of the hip has an important genetic component and variations of genes encoding for inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6, may play an important role in the series of events responsible for the pathophysiology of OA.
Pola
E
E
Department of Orthopedics, A. Gemelli University Hospital, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore School of Medicine, Rome, Italy. enricopola@hotmail.com
Papaleo
P
P
Pola
R
R
Gaetani
E
E
Tamburelli
F C
FC
Aulisa
L
L
Logroscino
C A
CA
D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors
D015850:Interleukin-6