title: Interleukin-6 receptor gene 48892 A/C polymorphism is associated with metabolic syndrome in female Taiwanese adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was to evaluate the relationship between the interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R) 48892 A/C single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs8192284) and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components among young adolescents in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 925 adolescents (451 boys and 474 girls). Modified National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel-III (NCEP ATP-III) criteria were applied to define MetS (with age- and gender-specific 90th percentile cutoff point of variables). Subjects had three or more of the following cardiometabolic abnormalities that occur in MetS: high blood pressure, high fasting glucose, high triglyceride (TG), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and obesity. The characteristics of the MetS components associated with different alleles and genotypes of the IL-6R rs8192284 SNP were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Frequencies of alleles and genotypes of the IL-6R 48892 polymorphism were similar in both sexes. Boys with C-alleles had borderline lower TG levels than A-allele carriers (66.0±30.1 vs. 70.3±34.6 mg/dL, p=0.07). However, girls with C-alleles had higher waist circumference (WC) (68.0±7.9 vs. 67.0±7.7 cm) and lower HDL-C levels (50.7±11.1 vs. 52.2±11.7 g/dL) than A-allele carriers (p=0.05). The prevalence of MetS and its components, high WC and low HDL-C level, were higher in female C-allele carriers (all p<0.05) but not in boys. The odds ratios for high WC, low HDL-C levels, and MetS for female C-allele carriers were 1.54 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-2.34), 1.49 (95% CI: 1.01-2.18), and 2.19-2.39 (95% CI: 1.15-4.51), respectively, when compared with A-allele carriers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The IL-6R 48892 A/C polymorphism is associated with high TG and WC, and low HDL-C levels in adolescents. Additionally, there is a gender difference in the incidence of MetS, indicating a possible gene-gender interaction of the IL-6R 48892 A/C polymorphism in MetS among Taiwanese adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chang-Hsun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Yi-Jen
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Ling-I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chih-Tsueng
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Chien-Hsing
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Fone-Ching
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.forename: Nain-Feng
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Chu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000483:Alleles; D044466:Asian People; D015992:Body Mass Index; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics*; D013624:Taiwan; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6; D014280:Triglycerides