title: The dependence of serum interleukin-6 level on PPAR-alpha polymorphism in men with coronary atherosclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The association between L162V polymorphism in the gene for peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) alpha and the development of coronary heart disease was examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  PPAR-alpha polymorphism was determined in 48 men with angiographically confirmed coronary atherosclerosis and in 51 healthy men.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of the V allele of the L162V polymorphism was four times higher in men with atherosclerosis (0.25 in studied group and 0.06 in controls). The polymorphism was not associated with changes in body mass index, lipid pattern, serum adhesion molecules, or vasoactive agents concentrations. The effect of the polymorphism on the serum interleukin-6 level (IL-6) was observed (p<0.01). The serum IL-6 level was higher in homozygotic than in heterozygotic subjects (p<0.02). Multivariate regression analysis showed the existence of a relationship between simvastatin therapy and serum IL-6 level (r=0.83; p<0.05) in the homozygotic men. While in homozygotic patients with atherosclerosis a negative linear correlation between serum IL-6 and NO concentration was shown, in heterozygotic men positive correlations between IL-6 or HDL cholesterol and adhesion molecule levels were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  L162V polymorphism in the gene for PPAR-alpha seems to be associated with atherosclerosis through a mechanism including regulation of the IL-6 level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Occupational Diseases and Hypertension, Wroclaw Medical University, L. Pasteur 4, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland. annaskoc@ak.am.wroc.pl
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skoczynska
authors.forename: Tadeusz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dobosz
authors.forename: Rafal
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poreba
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Turczyn
authors.forename: Arkadiusz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Derkacz
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zoledziewska
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jonkisz
authors.forename: Arleta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lebioda