title: Association of interleukin-18 gene promoter polymorphisms with risk of acute myocardial infarction in northern Chinese Han population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interleukin-18 (IL-18) has been suggested to play an important role in coronary arterial disease and its sequelae. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between IL-18 promoter functional polymorphisms (-607C/A and -137G/C) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in northern Chinese Han population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a case-control study including 234 patients with AMI and 216 age- and sex-matched controls. Genotyping was performed using sequence specific primer-polymerase chain reaction (PCR-SSP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant differences in the genotype and allele distribution of -607C/A polymorphism of the IL-18 gene between cases and controls. Logistic regression analysis with adjustments for other well-established risk factors revealed that the -607C allele carriers had a significantly increased risk of AMI compared with the non-carriers (OR=1.890, 95% CI 1.196-2.985, p=0.006). No relationship between -137G/C polymorphism and AMI was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows for the first time that the IL-18 gene promoter -607C/A polymorphism may be considered a genetic risk factor for AMI in northern Chinese Han population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pei
authors.forename: Yaling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Xiaolin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chenghui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Mingfang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006801:Humans; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D020382:Interleukin-18