Interleukin-1α Polymorphism -889C/T Related to Obesity in Korean Taeumin Women

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

<P>Interleukin-1 (IL-1), a cytokine produced predominantly by cells from the macrophage lineage, can affect multiple neuroendocrine and metabolic functions. IL-1α production by cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells from an obese group was significantly elevated in comparison to a control group. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the IL-1α polymorphism and Sasang constitution, a major branch in Korean traditional medicine, were related to obesity. Genotyping was done in 182 healthy females with a marked variation in body mass index (BMI) by a PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. The T allele was associated with decreased BMI (p = 0.020). In a subgroup with BMI values ranging from 27 ~ 29 kg/m<SUP>2</SUP>, the frequency of the T allele was significantly decreased (p = 0.004, odds ratio, OR = 0.141 compared to a subgroup with a BMI values less than 25 Kg/m<SUP>2</SUP>). In addition, in Taeumin female subjects, the frequency of the IL-1α T allele was markedly decreased in a subgroup with BMI values in the range of 27 ~ 29 kg/m<SUP>2</SUP>compared to a lean group with BMI values less than 25 kg/m<SUP>2</SUP>(p = 0.004, OR = 0.139). In Korean women, an association was found between -889C/T polymorphism in the regulatory region of the IL-1α gene and BMI values. In addition, an association was found among IL-1α polymorphism, obesity, and the Sasang constitution.</P>