Abstract
Variations of baseline plasma concentrations of creatine kinase (CK), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) have been reported. We report categorical associations which may influence these protein levels. Methods. Blood was harvested for DNA and plasma protein analysis from 567 adults. Mean protein levels of CK, HSP70, and IL-6 were compared by sex, ethnicity, genetic variants—CKMM Nco1 (rs1803285), HSPA1B +A1538G (rs1061581), and IL6 G-174C (rs1800795)—self-reported history of exercise, oral contraceptive use, and dietary supplement use. Results. SNP major allele frequencies for CKMM, HSPA1B, and IL6 were 70% A, 57% A, and 60%. Mean CK statistically differed by sex, ethnicity, oral contraceptives, and caffeine. Plasma HSP70 differed by caffeine and protein. Mean IL-6 concentration differed by sex, ethnicity, and genotype. Plasma IL-6 was significantly lower (29%) in males (1.92 ± 0.08 pg/mL) and higher (29%) among African Americans (2.85 ± 0.50 pg/mL) relative to the others. IL6 G-174C GG genotype (2.23 ± 0.14 pg/mL) was 19% greater than CG or CC genotypes. Conclusion. Differences in baseline CK and IL-6 plasma protein concentrations are associated with genetics, sex, ethnicity, and the use of oral contraceptives, caffeine, and protein supplements in this young and athletic population.
Highlights
Exertional Rhabdomyolysis (ER) affects 1 in 10,000 people per year [1] and is a significant threat for military personnel and civilian fire and medical service responders during training, when the training is under warm-to-hot environmental conditions [2,3,4]
Ethnic samples identified as Native American, Mixed Race, Other, and those nonreporting were excluded from ethnic analyses because of the small sample size
Mean creatine kinase (CK) levels differed by sex and ethnicity, but not genotype
Summary
Exertional Rhabdomyolysis (ER) affects 1 in 10,000 people per year [1] and is a significant threat for military personnel and civilian fire and medical service responders during training, when the training is under warm-to-hot environmental conditions [2,3,4]. Proteins known to be increased by exertional stress include creatine kinase, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) [5,6,7,8,9,10]. Interleukin 6 (IL-6), a cytokine and stress-responsive myokine, is released from contracting skeletal muscles, perhaps acting as an energy sensor, to exert both local and endocrine metabolic effects [16]. Both baseline and exercise-induced levels of these proteins can be influenced by multiple factors including diet, exercise fitness, overall health status, sex, medications, ethnicity, and genetics [17]
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