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.