Intrarenal Expression of Interleukin-6 and the -174 G/C Polymorphism in IgA Nephropathy.
- Author:
Chun Soo LIM
1
;
Yon Su KIM
;
Cu Rie AHN
;
Jin Suk HAN
;
Suhng Gwon KIM
;
Jung Sang LEE
;
Dong Wan CHAE
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul Municipal Boramae Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
IgA nephropathy;
Interleukin-6;
Korean;
Polymorphism
- MeSH:
Alleles;
Genotype;
Glomerulonephritis, IGA*;
Humans;
Immunoglobulin A*;
Interleukin-6*;
Promoter Regions, Genetic;
RNA
- From:Korean Journal of Nephrology
2002;21(4):595-601
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: The proinflammatory cytokine, interleukin-6(IL-6), seems to be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of IgA nephropathy. The aim of this study is to elucidate the relationship between the intrarenal expression of IL-6 and the clinicopathological findings in IgA nephropathy, and to reveal whether allele-frequency differences of -174 G/C polymorphism of IL-6 gene promoter region exist between IgA nephropathy patients and the normal population. METHODS: The total RNA was extracted from renal tissue of 56 IgA nephropathy patients. Semiquantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reactions(RT-PCR) using the internal competitors were done for the quantification of IL-6 transcripts. Using PCR-RFLP, we examined the -174 G/C polymorphism in IgA nephropathy patients and in 53 of the normal Korean population. RESULTS: In RT-PCR, the degree of intrarenal IL-6 expression was not related with any clinicopathological characteristics of IgA nephropathy patients. The degree of IgA deposition in glomeruli was correlated with the expression of IL-6, but the correlation was not statistically significant. Among the 56 IgA nephropathy patients studied, 55 carried the GG wild type and only 1 carried the GC genotype. Among 53 normal controls studied, only 1 carried the GC genotype and the rest carried GG wild type(C allele frequency=0.009). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that IL-6 is not related with the pathophysiology of IgA nephropathy, and the -174 G to C polymorphism of IL-6 promoter region is very rare in Koreans. And, the IL-6 polymorphism at -174 is unlikely to contribute significantly to susceptibility to or the progression of IgA nephropathy in Koreans.
