Influence of the interleukin-6 -174 G/C gene polymorphism on exercise training-induced changes in glucose tolerance indexes

1 Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742; and 2 Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261 Submitted 27 February 2004 ; accepted in final form 27 May 2004 A polymorphism in the IL-6 gene, a G-to-C substitution 176 bp upstream of the ATG translation initiation site, has been associated with diabetes prevalence and insulin resistance. Interventions including exercise training are frequently used to modify cardiovascular disease risk factors. Consequently, this project examined associations between the IL-6 –174 genotype and oral glucose tolerance test outcomes in 50- to 75-yr-old sedentary men and postmenopausal women before and after aerobic exercise training. Among the 87 individuals who started the study, 56 were retested after 6 mo of aerobic exercise training. Subject characteristics at baseline did not differ between the IL-6 genotype groups with the exception of fasting glucose, which was higher ( P = 0.02, covariates age, gender, and ethnicity) in the CC genotype group. The training-induced change in glucose area under the curve during the oral glucose tolerance test varied between the IL-6 –174 genotype groups ( P = 0.05, covariates age, gender, ethnicity, baseline glucose area under the curve, and percent body fat change) with a significant decrease occurring only in the GG genotype group. Insulin outcomes did not differ among the groups at baseline or after training. Training-induced changes in weight, percent body fat, maximal oxygen consumption, fasting glucose, and an insulin sensitivity index also changed similarly among the genotype groups. In conclusion, fasting glucose and the extent to which glucose tolerance changes with exercise training may be influenced by the IL-6 –174 gene polymorphism. genetics; oral glucose tolerance test Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: J. M. Hagberg, Dept. of Kinesiology, Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-2611 (E-mail: hagberg{at}umd.edu ).