title: Genetic polymorphisms of interleukin-16 and risk of knee osteoarthritis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interleukin-16 (IL-16), a pleiotropic cytokine, plays a fundamental role in inflammatory diseases. This study investigates the association between IL-16 polymorphisms and the risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA) in a Chinese population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The IL-16 rs11556218, rs4072111, and rs4778889 polymorphisms were determined in 150 knee OA cases and 147 healthy controls through polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results suggested that the variants in IL-16 gene rs11556218 site were associated with a decreased knee OA risk after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and smoking and drinking status (TG vs. TT: OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.53-0.89; P = 0.006; GG vs. TT: OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.45-0.90; P = 0.042; dominant model: OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.29-0.87; P = 0.002; G vs. T allele: OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.66-0.90; P = 0.003). Similarly, subjects bearing the rs4072111 variant genotypes and alleles also had a lower susceptibility to knee OA compared with those bearing the wild-type (CT vs. CC: OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53-0.83; P = 0.002; TT vs. CC: OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.40-0.82; P = 0.027; dominant model: OR, 0.65; 95%, CI 0.52-0.80; P <0.001; T vs. C allele: OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.58-0.81; P <0.001). Further, the C allele and the combined genotype (CC+CT) of rs4778889 were associated with a slightly decreased risk of knee OA. In addition, we found two high-risk haplotypes: TTT (OR, 3.70) and GCC (OR, 6.22). Finally, serum IL-16 levels of knee OA patients were significantly higher than those of controls (P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the small sample size, this is the first study suggesting IL-16 gene polymorphisms to be associated with the risk of knee OA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Trauma and Hand Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Department of Trauma Orthopedics, Ninth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Beihai, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Shi-Xing
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear medicine, Ninth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Beihai, Guangxi, China; Graduate school of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Hui
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma Orthopedics, Ninth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Beihai, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Jing
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma Orthopedics, Ninth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Beihai, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Guang-Hua
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma Orthopedics, Ninth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Beihai, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Gui-Fu
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Trauma and Hand Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Yanqiong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Trauma and Hand Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D019410:Interleukin-16 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012306:Risk
chemical_list: D019410:Interleukin-16