The Association Between Interleukin 1 Beta Promoter Polymorphisms And Keratoconus Incidence And Severity In An Egyptian Population

• Main Authors: Nabil KM, Elhady GM, Morsy H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2019-11-01
• Series: Clinical Ophthalmology
• Subjects: interleukin 1 beta; promoter polymorphisms; keratoconus; egypt.
• Online Access: https://www.dovepress.com/the-association-between-interleukin-1-beta-promoter-polymorphisms-and--peer-reviewed-article-OPTH

Karim Mahmoud Nabil,1 Ghada Mohamed Elhady,2 Heba Morsy2 1Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt; 2Department of Human Genetics, Medical Research Institute, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, EgyptCorrespondence: Karim Mahmoud NabilDepartment of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Sultan Hussein Street, Khartoum Square, Alexandria 21523, EgyptTel [phone]Fax [phone]Email [e-mail]: In the present study, we investigated whether interleukin 1 beta (IL1B) promoter polymorphisms are associated with keratoconus in an Egyptian population and their association with disease severity.Methods: A total of 95 Egyptian keratoconus patients and 126 Egyptian healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Two IL1B single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs1143627 and rs16944) were genotyped using Taqman real-time PCR to compare haplotype, genotype, and allele frequencies between cases and controls (primary outcome) and their association with disease severity (secondary outcome).Results: Statistically significant association was observed for rs1143627 and rs16944; the T allele of rs1143627 and the G allele of rs16944 were associated with an increased risk of keratoconus (p < 0.001, odds ratio = 3.313, 4.770, respectively). The TT genotype of rs1143627 and the GG genotype of rs16944 were strongly associated with an increased risk of keratoconus (p < 0.001, odds ratio = 5.631, 11.478, respectively). The G allele of rs16944 was associated with an increased curvature of the flattest corneal meridian Kf in keratoconus (p = 0.041). The GG genotype of rs16944 was associated with an increased curvature of the flattest corneal meridian Kf, steepest corneal meridian Ks and average corneal curvature Kavg in keratoconus (p = 0.01, 0.046, 0.023, respectively).Conclusion: IL1B is suspected to play a crucial role, both in development and severity of keratoconus in Egyptian population.Keywords: interleukin 1 beta, promoter polymorphisms, keratoconus, Egypt