Association between the IL-6, IL-10, and TNFα gene polymorphisms and preterm-birth in Korean women

Background Preterm birth (PTB) is a major adverse pregnancy outcome and largely contributes to increasing neonatal and maternal mortality. Genetic and environmental factors may play an important role in the development of PTB. Numerous studies have shown that immune genes related to the immune system, such as IL-6, IL-10, and TNF alpha, are associated with the occurrence of PTB. Objective We examined genetic associations between IL-6 rs1800796, IL-10 rs1800872, and TNF alpha rs1800630 polymorphisms and PTB in Korean women. Methods In this study, 115 PTB patients and 147 controls were analyzed. The genotyping of three SNPs was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Results Our result showed that the rs1800872 polymorphism was significantly associated with the development of PTB in genotype frequency (odds ratio (OR) 1.71, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-2.90, p = 0.046). We also found a significant association in an analysis of combined genotypes (rs1800796 CC, rs1800872 CA, and rs1800630 CA) (OR 7.43, 95% CI 2.06-26.84, p = 0.001). In a correlation analysis, rs1800630 A allele was significantly related with the increased birth weight (g) within PTB patients (p = 0.005). Conclusion Our results imply possible relationships between the rs1800796, rs1800872, and rs1800630 polymorphisms and the development of PTB.