Sib pair linkage and association studies between bone mineral density and the interleukim-6 gene locus

A major determinant of the risk for osteoporosis in later life is bone mine ral density (BMD) attained during early adulthood. Bone mineral density is a complex trait that, presumably, is influenced by multiple genes. Interleu kin-6 (IL-6) is an attractive candidate gene for osteoporosis susceptibilit y, because it has effects on bone cells and has been implicated in the path ogenesis of osteoporosis. Furthermore, previous investigators have identifi ed an association between a 3' UTR polymorphism of the IL-6 gene and BMD, I n this study, we searched for linkage and association between this IL-6 gen e polymorphism and peak BMD in a large population (812 individuals) of heal thy premenopausal sibpairs, Although previous investigators identified only 6 IL-6 alleles, we identified 17 alleles by modifying electrophoretic cond itions and evaluating a very large population. We found no evidence for eit her linkage or association between the IL-6 gene locus and BMD of the spine or hip in either Caucasians or African Americans. (Bone 27:169-173; 2000) (C) 2000 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.