MEDLINE/PubMed Journal Browser Search

Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

Title: Associations of IL-4, IL-4R, and IL-13 gene polymorphisms in coal workers' pneumoconiosis in China: a case-control study.
Author: Wang M, Wang S, Song Z, Ji X, Zhang Z, Zhou J, Ni C.
Journal: PLoS One; 2011; 6(8):e22624. PubMed ID: 21857939.
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: The IL-4, IL-4 receptor (IL4R), and IL-13 genes are crucial immune factors and may influence the course of various diseases. In the present study, we investigated the association between the potential functional polymorphisms in IL-4, IL-4R, and IL-13 and coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) risk in a Chinese population. METHODS: Six polymorphisms (C-590T in IL-4, Ile50Val, Ser478Pro, and Gln551Arg in IL-4R, C-1055T and Arg130Gln in IL-13) were genotyped and analyzed in a case-control study of 556 CWP and 541 control subjects. RESULTS: Our results revealed that the IL-4 CT/CC genotypes were associated with a significantly decreased risk of CWP (odds ratio (OR) = 0.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.58-0.95), compared with the TT genotype, particularly among subgroups of age <65 years (OR = 0.68, 95%CI = 0.46-0.99) and dust exposure years ≥26 years (OR = 0.69, 95%CI = 0.50-0.94). Moreover, the polymorphism was significantly associated with risk of CWP patients with stage I. In addition, a combined effect was observed in a dose-dependent manner with increasing numbers of risk variant alleles (P(trend) = 0.023), and individuals with 11-12 risk alleles had a 47% higher risk of CWP than those with 0-8 risk alleles (OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.05-2.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the IL-4 C-590T polymorphism is involved in the etiology of CWP and susceptibility to this disease. Larger studies are warranted to validate our findings.

[Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]