Journal of investigative medicine : the official publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research
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Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a cytokine involved in different physiologic and pathophysiologic processes, and circulating levels of IL-6 differ greatly between individuals, but the results have not always been concordant among diverse populations. The aim of present study was to determine the prevalence of the 3 polymorphisms (-174G/C, -597G/A, and -634C/G) in the IL-6 gene promoter region and their effects on inflammatory markers in normal Han Chinese population. ⋯ IL-6 -174G/C and -597G/A are rare, but -634C/G is common in Han Chinese population, and the -634G allele is associated with circulating levels of IL-6 and C-reactive protein.