title: Associations of IL-4, IL-4R, and IL-13 gene polymorphisms in coal workers' pneumoconiosis in China: a case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The IL-4, IL-4 receptor (IL4R), and IL-13 genes are crucial immune factors and may influence the course of various diseases. In the present study, we investigated the association between the potential functional polymorphisms in IL-4, IL-4R, and IL-13 and coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) risk in a Chinese population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six polymorphisms (C-590T in IL-4, Ile50Val, Ser478Pro, and Gln551Arg in IL-4R, C-1055T and Arg130Gln in IL-13) were genotyped and analyzed in a case-control study of 556 CWP and 541 control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results revealed that the IL-4 CT/CC genotypes were associated with a significantly decreased risk of CWP (odds ratio (OR) = 0.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.58-0.95), compared with the TT genotype, particularly among subgroups of age <65 years (OR = 0.68, 95%CI = 0.46-0.99) and dust exposure years ≥26 years (OR = 0.69, 95%CI = 0.50-0.94). Moreover, the polymorphism was significantly associated with risk of CWP patients with stage I. In addition, a combined effect was observed in a dose-dependent manner with increasing numbers of risk variant alleles (P(trend) = 0.023), and individuals with 11-12 risk alleles had a 47% higher risk of CWP than those with 0-8 risk alleles (OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.05-2.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that the IL-4 C-590T polymorphism is involved in the etiology of CWP and susceptibility to this disease. Larger studies are warranted to validate our findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Meilin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shasha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhifang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Xiaomin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Zhengdong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jianwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Chunhui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ni
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D055008:Anthracosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000235:genetics*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics*; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018793:Interleukin-13; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4; D015847:Interleukin-4