Indoor air pollution has been documented as an important risk factor for
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (
COPD), and
inflammation is central to the development and progression of
COPD. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in some
cytokine genes have been reported to be associated with
COPD. We examined the association between 18 SNPs in 10
cytokine genes and
COPD risk in a case-control study conducted in a population with high exposure to indoor smoky
coal emissions. The study included 53
COPD cases and 122 healthy community controls. Carriers of the CSF2 117Ile allele had a 2.4-fold higher risk of
COPD than the wild type (Thr/Thr) carriers (OR: 2.44; 95% CI: 1.10-5.41), and the AA genotype at
IL8 -351 was associated with an increased risk of
COPD (OR: 2.71; 95% CI: 1.04-7.04). When the combined effects of CSF2 117Ile and
IL8 -351A were examined, individuals carrying at least one variant in both genes had a five-fold increased risk of
COPD (OR: 5.14, 95% CI: 1.32-29.86). This study suggests that polymorphisms in both CSF2 and
IL8 may play a role in the pathogenesis of
COPD, at least in highly exposed populations. However, in view of our relatively small sample size, this study should be replicated in other populations with substantial exposure to indoor
air pollutants such as
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and
particulate matter.