polymorphisms of the interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10 and interferon-gamma genes are male-specific markers for longevity (Bonafe et al. 2001; Di Bona et al. 2009; Giacconi et al. 2004; Lio et al. 2002a, b), supporting a finding that female longevity is less dependent on genetic background than male longevity (Franceschi et al. 2000).