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. 2009 Jun;31(2):155-62.
doi: 10.1007/s11357-009-9092-5. Epub 2009 Apr 18.

Interleukin-6 plasma level increases with age in an Italian elderly population ("The Treviso Longeva"-Trelong-study) with a sex-specific contribution of rs1800795 polymorphism

Diego Albani  1 , Sara Batelli, Letizia Polito, Francesca Prato, Marzia Pesaresi, Giovanni Battista Gajo, Sergio De Angeli, Andrea Zanardo, Daniela Galimberti, Elio Scarpini, Maurizio Gallucci, Gianluigi Forloni
Affiliations

Interleukin-6 plasma level increases with age in an Italian elderly population ("The Treviso Longeva"-Trelong-study) with a sex-specific contribution of rs1800795 polymorphism

Diego Albani et al. Age (Dordr). 2009 Jun.

Abstract

The transcription rate of interleukin-6 (IL-6) can be reduced by the C-allele of a polymorphism (rs1800795) located in the 5'-flanking region of the IL-6 gene (NM_000600), and IL-6 plasma levels increase with age. We assembled an elderly Italian population ["The Treviso Longeva (Trelong) study", age range 70-106 years, n = 668 subjects] and assessed rs1800795 genotype and plasma IL-6 concentrations. The rs1800795 genotype was also assessed in an independent Italian study ("Milan" study, age range 70-96, n = 245 subjects). To verify an age- or sex-specific effect of rs1800795 genotype we compared people younger (70-85) and older (85+) than 85 years of age. We found a significant reduction in the frequency of rs1800795 C/C genotype in 85+ men from the Trelong study, while in the Milan study this data did not reach significance. However, considering the two studies together, the frequency of the rs1800795 C/C genotype was significantly lower in 85+ than in 70-85 males (4.0% and 10.7%, respectively), while it remained unchanged in females. As for IL-6 plasma levels, after a multivariate analysis to control for confounders, a correlation between age and plasma IL-6 concentrations was revealed (P < 0.0001). An increase in circulating IL-6 levels in the entire 85+ group compared to the 70-85 group (P < 0.05, Tukey's test) was also noticed. We suggest a sex-specific pattern for genetic variability linked to inflammatory response and longevity, consistent with the age-related increase in IL-6.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Age-related increase in circulating IL-6. Scatter-plot showing log transformed individual plasma IL-6 levels measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The superimposed line shows the linear interpolation, the equation and statistical data of which are reported in the box. r Correlation coefficient
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Effect of rs1800795 genotype on IL-6 circulating level in the Trelong population. Plasma IL-6 was measured by ELISA as described in Materials and methods. Blue columns Mean plasma IL-6 concentration, red standard error. The observed trend did not reach statistical significance
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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