Genetic determinants of circulating interleukin-1 receptor antagonist levels and their association with glycemic traits

Publication type

Journal Article

Authors

Publication date

December 15, 2014

Summary:

The pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β is implicated in the development of insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction, whereas higher circulating IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA – an endogenous inhibitor of IL-1β - has been suggested to improve glycemia and beta-cell function in patients with type 2 diabetes. In order to elucidate the protective role of IL-1RA, this study aimed to identify genetic determinants of circulating IL-1RA concentration and to investigate their associations with immunological and metabolic variables related to cardiometabolic risk. In the analysis of 7 discovery and 4 replication cohort studies, two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were independently associated with circulating IL-1RA concentration (rs4251961 at the IL-1RN locus, n=13,955, P=2.76x10-21; and rs6759676, closest gene locus IL1F10, n=13,994, P=1.73x10-17). The proportion of the variance in IL-1RA explained by both SNPs combined was 2.0%. IL-1RA-raising alleles of both SNPs were associated with lower circulating C-reactive protein concentration. The IL-1RA-raising allele of rs6759676 was also associated with lower fasting insulin and lower homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). In conclusion, we show that circulating IL-1RA levels are predicted by two independent SNPs at the IL-1RN and IL-1F10 loci and that genetically raised IL-1RA may be protective against the development of insulin resistance.

Published in

Diabetes

Volume and page numbers

Volume: 63 , p.4 -4

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/db14-0731

ISSN

121797

Subjects

Notes

Not held in Research Library - bibliographic reference only

Online in Albert Sloman Library, except current 3 months

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