title: Gender-specific association of the interleukin 18 gene with symptomatic gallstone disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Symptomatic gallstone disease (SGSD) induced several inflammatory responses and affected extrahepatic bile ducts. Although the pathology and environmental risk factors of gallstone disease are well documented, immune or inflammatory responses in SGSD development are still inconclusive. Interleukin 18 (IL18) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays an important role in immune, infectious, and inflammatory diseases because of the induction of interferon-γ. In this study, we investigated whether polymorphisms of the IL18 gene were associated with SGSD susceptibility.
  
  
  METHODS
  Genomic DNA was isolated from the whole blood samples of 445 patients with SGSD and 1121 gallstone-free controls. The IL18 rs549908T>G, rs5744247C>G, rs187238G>C, rs1946518T>G, and rs360719A>G polymorphisms were genotyped using predeveloped TaqMan allelic discrimination assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found IL18 rs5744247G allele conferred protection against SGSD in female patients (odds ratio = 0.75, corrected P-value = 0.015). Haplotype analysis revealed that TGGTA protected females from SGSD development (odds ratio = 0.75, corrected P-value = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on our findings, IL18 rs5744247C>G polymorphism could be a potential genetic marker to predict SGSD susceptibility in Han Chinese women.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shou-Chuan
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.forename: Horng-Woei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Tzu-Yang
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Horng-Yuan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kuang-Chun
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Ching-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chen-Wang
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chien-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Hui-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Wen-Shan
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Shih-Chuan
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Yann-Jinn
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D042882:Gallstones / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D020382:Interleukin-18