BACKGROUND/AIMS: Chronic inflammatory status is a possible risk factor for vascular access dysfunction in hemodialysis (HD) patients, but susceptibility differences appear among individuals. Interleukin (IL)-6 is a well-known inflammatory cytokine with various polymorphisms. We examined whether IL-6 polymorphisms are associated with vascular access dysfunction in HD patients. METHODS: A total of 80 HD patients (including 42 diabetic patients) were enrolled. Polymorphisms in the IL-6 gene promoter (-634 C/G and -174 G/C) were studied using restriction length polymorphism polymerase chain reaction analysis. Vascular access patency was compared between the patient groups with respect to IL-6 polymorphisms. An additional 89 healthy individuals were enrolled in the control group. Plasma IL-6 levels were de termined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The GG genotype and G allele at position -634 in the IL-6 promoter were more frequently observed in HD patients than in controls. Furthermore, the distribution of the -634 polymorphism differed according to vascular access patency in non-diabetic HD patients. However, the G allele was not a significant risk factor for early access failure. No significant association appeared between the IL-6 -634 C/G polymorphism and plasma IL-6 levels. The C allele of the IL-6 -174 G/C polymorphism was not detected in our study population. CONCLUSIONS: The IL-6 -634 G allele appears with greater frequently in patients with end-stage renal disease and may be associated with vascular access dysfunction in non-diabetic HD patients.
Adult ; Aged ; Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical/*adverse effects ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group/*genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; Chi-Square Distribution ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Graft Occlusion, Vascular/blood/ethnology/*genetics/physiopathology ; Humans ; Interleukin-6/blood/*genetics ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/blood/ethnology/genetics/immunology/*therapy ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Phenotype ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; *Polymorphism, Genetic ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; *Renal Dialysis ; Republic of Korea ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Vascular Patency/*genetics