Also of interest is the finding of the dichotomy of effect of the C/G 174 polymorphism on IL-6 serum levels. In this study, an increase in serum IL-6 levels was found in CC homozygotes and subjects carrying the C allele in our octo/nonagenarian subjects in the BELFAST study. In his original study, Fishman noted an increase in serum IL-6 levels in GG homozygotes in healthy subjects compared with those with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Additionally, he demonstrated in HeLa cells that an -174C construct showed lower basal and stimulated expression of the reporter gene, compared with the -174G construct (Fishman et al., 1998). Conversely, Jones et al. (2001) showed that subjects with small aortic aneurysms who carried the CC genotype had both the highest serum IL-6 and mortality risk but argued that the association might not be direct but could track with co-existing atherosclerotic disease. Recently Basso et al. (2002) also showed increased IL-6, CRP, and fibrinogen associated with CC genotype and improved fall in LDL with statin treatment. In other data, Franceschi et al. (2001) has shown higher IL-6 levels in CC dementia subjects. In a Finnish study in neonates homozygotes and C allele carriers showed higher baseline and stimulated IL-6 levels. By contrast, Italian centenarians showed higher IL-6 levels in GG homozygotes who were male (Bonafe et al., 2001).Factor alpha (TNF-a), interleukin, and interleukin- (IL-) levels in the plasma of stored platelet concentrates: the relationship between TNF-a and IL- levels and febrile transfusion reactions. Transfusion, (cid:14) / Oisiri, M., Micoll, J., Moreland, L.W., Bridger, S., A novel single nucleotide polymorphism and five probable haplotypes in the flanking region of the IL- gene in African-Americans. Genes Immun., (cid:14) (Haplotypes containing the allele were uncommon %). Olivieri, F., Bonafe, M., Cavallone, L., Giovaguettti, S., Marchegiani, F., Cardelli, M., Mugianesi, E., Giampieri, C., Moresi, R., Steconi, R., Lisa, R., Franceschi, C., The C/G locus affects in vitro/in vivo IL- production during aging. Exp. Gerontol., (cid:14) / O'Shea, J.J., Ma, A., Lipsky, P., Cytokines and autoimmunity. Nat. Rev. Immunol., (cid:14) / Rachon, D., Mysliwaska, J., Suchecka-Rachon, K., Wieckiewiez, J., Mysliwski, A., Effects of estrogen deprivation on interleukin- production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of postmenopausal women. J. Endocrinol., (cid:14) / Rea, I.M., Master, D., Woodside, J.V., Young, I.S., Archbold, G.P., Linton, T., Lennox, S., Multy, H., Harmon D.L. Whitehead A.S. Community-living nonagenarians in Northern Ireland have lower plasma homocysteine but similar methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase thermolabile genotype prevalence compared to -year-old subjects. Atherosclerosis, (cid:14)// Reuben, D.B., Cheh, A.I., Harris, T.B., Ferrucci, L., Rowe, J.W., Tracy, R.P., Seeman, T.E., Peripheral blood markers of inflammation predict mortality and functional decline in high-functioning community-dwelling older persons. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc., (cid:14) / Revilla, M., Obacha, V., Cerveraa, A., Davalosb, A., Castilloc, J., Chamorro, A., The AG/C polymorphism of the interleukin- gene in patients with lacunar infarction. Neurosci. Lett., (cid:14)/ Riches, P., Gooding, R., Miller, B.C., Rowbottom, A.W., Influence of collection and separation of blood samples on plasma IL-, IL- and TNF-a concentrations. J. Immunol. Methods, (cid:14) / Riese, J., Denzel, C., Meher, C., Zowe M., Hohenberger W., Haupt W. The diminished postoperative capacity of blood leukocytes to produce IL- is associated with high concentration of IL- in the circulation. Cytokine, (cid:14)/ Ross, O.A., Curran M.D., Meenagh A. Williams F. Barnett Y.A. Middleton D. Rea I.M. Study of age association with cytokine gene polymorphisms in an aged Irish Population Mech. Ageing Dev., (cid:14)/ Roubenoff R. Harris T.B. Abad L.W. Wilson P.W. Dallal G.E. Dinarello C.A. Monocyte cytokine production in an elderly population: effect of age and inflammation. J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., M (cid:14)M/ Suffredini A.F., Fantuzzi G., Badolato R., Oppenheim J.J., O'Grady N.P., New insights into the biology of the acute phase response. J. Clin. Immunol., (cid:14) / Terry, C.F., Loukaci, V., Green, F.R., Cooperative influence of genetic polymorphisms on interleukin- transcriptional regulation. J. Biol. Chem., (cid:14) / Predictors of plasma interleukin- levels after coronary bypass surgery. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., (cid:14) / Brull, D.J., Lesson, C.P.M., Montgomery, H.E., Mullen M., Ivitis, M., Humphries S.E., Deanfield J.E., The effect of Interleukin- -C promoter gene polymorphism on function in healthy