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Association between IL-18 gene polymorphisms and Hashimoto thyroiditis

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Abstract

Background

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT), which is also called lymphocytic thyroiditis, is the most frequent autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), in which T helper-1 lymphocytes mediate the disease. IL-18 is expressed in thyroid follicular cells (TFCs) during HT. The findings of studies aimed at investigating the relationship between IL-18 and HT are highly contradictory. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between IL-18 gene polymorphisms and HT.

Methods and results

The study included 97 patients diagnosed with HT and 86 volunteers in the healthy control group. The IL18-607C/A (rs1946518) and -137G/C (rs187238) genotypes were determined using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR–RFLP) method. No significant difference in the mean age or sex was observed between the groups (p = 0.763 and p = 0.658, respectively). The -137 IL18 CG genotype was more frequent in HT patients than in controls. In HT patients, the risk of the IL-18 CG genotype was more than 2.237 times higher (OR 2.237%95 Cl 1.195–4.187, p = 0.039) than that of the G/G genotype. Additionally, the -607 AC genotype was more frequent in the control group than in the HT group (in individuals with the IL18 CG genotype).

Conclusions

According to our results, the CG genotype might be a risk factor for HT. Conversely, there is a possibility that the AC genotype plays a protective role against the condition. However, further studies will contribute to new solutions by revealing the molecular and cellular mechanisms of HT.

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Data availability

The dataset is available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Gebze Medical Park Hospital, Kavak Street No:5, Gebze/Kocaeli, Turkey

    Dilek Karakaya

  2. Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Bulent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey

    Gunes Çakmak Genc, Sevim Karakas Celik & Ahmet Dursun

  3. Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Sciences and Arts, Bulent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey

    Tugba Aktas

  4. Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, Zonguldak, Turkey

    Taner Bayraktaroglu

Authors
  1. Dilek Karakaya
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  2. Gunes Çakmak Genc
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  3. Sevim Karakas Celik
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  4. Tugba Aktas
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  5. Taner Bayraktaroglu
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Contributions

DK and SKC designed the research. DK and TA performed the research. SKC, GCG and TA analysed the data. TB and AD supervised the research. DK, SKC, TB and AD wrote the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dilek Karakaya.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The research protocol was approved by the ethics committee of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit university medical school on February 10, 2021 (Reference Number: 2021/03).

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Informed consent was obtained all participants.

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Karakaya, D., Çakmak Genc, G., Karakas Celik, S. et al. Association between IL-18 gene polymorphisms and Hashimoto thyroiditis. Mol Biol Rep 48, 6703–6708 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-021-06659-5

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