The interleukin-6 -147 g/c polymorphism is associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease in young South African Indian men

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a proinflammatory cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD). The -174 IL-6 G/C promoter polymorphism influences mRNA levels and protein expression and is implicated in CAD. The Indian population in South Africa, unlike the black community, has a high prevalence of premature CAD. This polymorphism has not been fully explored in this population. The present study assessed the -174 IL-6 G/C polymorphism in young Indian patients with angiographically documented CAD and compared them with age- and gender-matched Indian and black control subjects. Polymorphic variants were assessed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism, and IL-6 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The -174 IL-6 C allele was found with a higher frequency (23%) in the total Indian group compared to 2% in the black participants [P