Relationship between IL-1β polymorphisms and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

OBJECTIVE To explore the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and polymorphism in the IL-1β gene. PATIENTS AND METHODS We recruited 164 OSAS patients to the observation group and 146 healthy people to the control group during the same period. Using RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism), we detected higher G/G and C/C rates on locus 154 of the IL-1β gene in the OSAS patients compared with the control group. RESULTS Quantitative fluorescence PCR results showed no significant differences in the mRNA expression between the OSAS patients and the healthy people. ELISA results showed that levels of IL-1β in people with the G/G and C/C genotypes were lower than those with the G/C genotype. The frequencies of T/A and T/T on locus 468 of IL-1β was increased in the OSAS patients compared with the control group. ELISA and Western blot results indicated that individuals with the T/T and T/T genotypes at locus 468 had lower expression of IL-1β than those with A/A. CONCLUSIONS This observation suggests that IL-1β polymorphisms at 154 and 468 contribute to the incidence of OSAS, possibly, by altering the protein expression of IL-1β.