Interleukin-6 gene promoter -174G/C polymorphism and insulin resistance: a pilot study.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the relationship between interleukin-6 promoter -174G/C (IL-6 -174G/C) polymorphism and insulin resistance (IR) in obese patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).


METHODS
Twenty obese male patients with CHD were selected from a larger database of patients (n=606). IL-6 -174G/C genotype was previously analysed and only homozygotes with the CC genotype (n=10) or GG genotype (n=10) were selected. IR was measured using the homeostasis model assessment for IR (HOMA-IR) method.


RESULTS
Differences in age, body mass index, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG), hypertension, IL-6, C-reactive protein and HOMA-IR were not significant between the genotypes (p>0.05), but analysis of a homogeneity-of-slopes model showed that genotype had a significant influence on HOMA-IR (p=0.037), and the interaction between genotype and HDL-C had a pronounced tendency to affect HOMA-IR (p=0.058). Using multiple regression analysis, we found that HDL-C had a significant effect on HOMA-IR (p=0.023), and TG had a tendency to affect HOMA-IR (p=0.066) only in the CC genotype.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data show that IL-6 -174G/C polymorphism may have a significant effect on IR. A comparison between the effects of various cardiovascular risk factors showed that HDL-C may have a significant effect on HOMA-IR in the CC genotype but not in the GG genotype. Further research is needed to test the preliminary results.
Tretjakovs
Peteris
P
Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia. tretjako@latnet.lv
Latkovskis
Gustavs
G
Licis
Normunds
N
Juhnevica
Dace
D
Jurka
Antra
A
Bormane
Inga
I
Aivars
Juris I
JI
Stifts
Agnis
A
Pirags
Valdis
V
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000378:metabolism; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D015850:Interleukin-6