title: Interleukin-6 genetic polymorphism and Chinese major depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been reported that serum concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, were significantly higher in major depressive disorder (MDD).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to examine whether the IL-6 genetic variant confers susceptibility to MDD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We genotyped a functional polymorphism in the promoter region (position -634) of the IL-6 gene in a sample of 257 MDD patients and 105 normal controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were demonstrated for the genotype or allele frequency of the IL-6 polymorphism when comparing the MDD and control groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggested that the investigated IL-6 polymorphism does not affect MDD susceptibility. We propose that other genetic variations of IL-6, relating either to MDD or to the clinical manifestations of MDD, may need further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Chen-Jee
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Younger W-Y
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Tai-Jui
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shih-Jen
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6