Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-10 Promoter Region Polymorphisms Are Associated with Risk of Lumbar Disc Herniation in a Northern Chinese Han Population.

Abstract

This study assessed the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-10 with the risk of lumbar disc herniation in a Chinese Han population. We collected blood samples from 267 patients with lumbar disc herniation (case group) and 300 normals (control group) and performed analyses of the IL-6 572C/G and 174G/C SNPs as well as the IL-10 592A/C and 1082G/A SNPs using TaqMan technology. The frequencies of the IL-6-572 GG, GC, and CC genotypes were 5.99%, 42.3%, and 51.6%, respectively, in the case group, and 1.6%, 24%, and 64.3%, respectively, in the control group. Thus, the relative risk of the IL-6-572 G genotype (GG plus GC) was 1.69-fold higher for developing lumbar disc herniation compared to the CC genotype (95% confidence interval: 1.16-2.39, p < 0.01). The risks associated with the IL-6-572 CG and GG genotypes were 1.55- and 4.48-fold higher, respectively, versus the CC genotype for developing lumbar disc herniation (p < 0.01). The IL-10-1082 AG genotype was significantly higher in the case group (26.22%) versus the control group (11.67%); whereas the AA genotype was lower in the case group (73.78%) versus the control group (88.33%; p < 0.05). The IL-10-1082 G allele frequency was significantly higher in the case group (13.11%) versus the control group (5.83%; p < 0.05). This study demonstrates that genetic variants in the promoter regions of the IL-6 and IL-10 genes are associated with lumbar disc herniation risk in this Northern Chinese Han population.