Abstract:
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate role of Interleukin-6 (-174 G/C) gene promoter polymorphism and the serum level of (IL-6) in the identification of premature coronary artery disease (PCAD).
METHODS: The case-control study was carried out at Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from July, 2014 to Jan, 2015 in collaboration with University College London, UK. One hundred and fifty patients, <45 years of age with greater than seventy percent blockade in at least one major coronary artery on angiography, were labeled as cases. While 150 subjects who were declared negative for coronary artery disease on coronary angiography were taken as controls. Genotyping was performed using Taqman Assay while serum IL-6 was measured using Enzyme Linked Immuno-sorbent Assay (ELISA).
RESULTS: Total 364 subjects participated in the study. Mean±SD age of PCAD patients was 41±3.80 while in controls it was 36±7.8 years. Serum IL-6 levels were high in the cases (p<0.01). In IL-6 -174(G/C), polymorphism homozygous CC demonstrated significant association with occurrence of PCAD. Serum IL-6 levels showed a significant rise in CC genotype subjects when compared to GC and GG (p<0.05). The serum IL-6 levels showed significant correlation with the atherosclerotic burden (p<0.05). Sensitivity-specificity of IL-6 at cut off value of 3.7 ng/ dl was 77% and 81% respectively.
CONCLUSION: IL-6 has significant diagnostic potential for PCAD with moderately high sensitivity and specificity. IL-6 (-174 G/C) polymorphism CC genotype can aid in the risk prediction of PCAD.
