Genetics and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Life Sciences Division, The Zinman College of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the Wingate Institute, Natanya, Israel.
Exp Physiol. 2011 Feb;96(2):156-62. doi: 10.1113/expphysiol.2010.055442. Epub 2010 Oct 22.
A functional -174 C/G polymorphism in the interleukin-6 gene (IL6) is a candidate to explain individual variations in exercise-related phenotypes. To replicate recent findings showing an association between the G allele and GG genotype of elite power sports performance in European (Spanish) Caucasian males, we compared allelic and genotypic frequencies of the IL6 -174 C/G polymorphism among elite endurance athletes (n = 74) and power athletes (n = 81) and non-athletic control subjects (n = 205) of both sexes from Israel. All subjects were Israeli Caucasians (with an equivalent ratio of non-Ashkenazi and Ashkenazi descent in each group; 2:1). We found no differences in the genotype or allele frequencies among groups (all P > 0.3). We further compared the genotype and allele frequencies between national- (n = 109) and international-level Israeli athletes (n = 46) in the endurance and power group, and found no significant genotype or allele differences after adjusting for multiple comparisons. We repeated all the analyses after pooling the Israeli and Spanish control subjects, endurance and power elite athletes, and found no genotypic and allelic differences among groups. The results did not change when the analyses were repeated including only the best Israeli athletes (i.e. the international-level group) together with the group of elite Spanish athletes (P > 0.2). In conclusion, the results of the present study did not show an association between the G allele of the IL6 -174 G/C polymorphism and power sports performance in the Israeli (Caucasian) population. Our findings support the need to replicate association results between genetic polymorphisms and athletic status in populations of different ethnic backgrounds with the largest possible population samples.
白细胞介素 6 基因（IL6）中的功能-174 C/G 多态性是解释与运动相关表型个体差异的候选因素。为了复制最近的研究结果，该研究结果表明欧洲（西班牙）白种男性中精英力量型运动表现与 G 等位基因和 GG 基因型之间存在关联，我们比较了 IL6-174 C/G 多态性的等位基因和基因型频率在以色列的精英耐力运动员（n = 74）和力量运动员（n = 81）以及非运动员对照组（n = 205）中。所有受试者均为以色列白种人（每组的非阿什肯纳兹和阿什肯纳兹血统比例相等；2:1）。我们发现各组之间在基因型或等位基因频率方面没有差异（所有 P > 0.3）。我们进一步比较了耐力和力量组中国家级（n = 109）和国际级以色列运动员（n = 46）的基因型和等位基因频率，在进行多次比较调整后，未发现基因型和等位基因差异。在将以色列和西班牙对照组、耐力和力量精英运动员的数据合并后，我们重复了所有分析，未发现各组之间存在基因型和等位基因差异。当仅包括以色列最佳运动员（即国际级运动员）和精英西班牙运动员组时，分析结果仍然不变（P > 0.2）。总之，本研究的结果并未显示 IL6-174 G/C 多态性的 G 等位基因与以色列（白种人）人群中的力量型运动表现之间存在关联。我们的研究结果支持需要在具有最大可能的人群样本的不同种族背景的人群中复制遗传多态性与运动状态之间的关联结果。
