IL-6 rs1800795 Polymorphism in Youth Professional Football Players and Non-Athletic Controls

Abstract

Interleukin-6 is a cytokine involved in immune response, inflammation, and muscle recovery, especially during intense exercise. Primarily released from skeletal muscle, IL-6 supports muscle repair, glucose metabolism, and satellite cell activation, which are essential for athletic performance. The IL-6 rs1800795 polymorphism influences IL-6 expression, with the G allele commonly associated with higher cytokine production. This hypothesis-free and exploratory study aimed to compare the distribution of the IL-6 rs1800795 genotype and allele frequencies between youth professional football players and non-athletic controls, as an initial step toward exploring potential genetic associations in future phenotype-linked studies. A total of 36 youth professional football players and 60 age-matched non-athletic controls were included. Genomic DNA was isolated from buccal swab samples using the PureLink DNA Isolation Kit, and genotyping was performed by Real-Time PCR using TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assays. Genotype and allele frequencies were compared between groups using the chi-square test, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. No statistically significant differences were observed in IL-6 rs1800795 genotype distributions or allele frequencies between athletes and controls. As recovery, inflammatory, and muscle hypertrophy markers were not directly measured, these findings should be interpreted as descriptive of genotype distribution rather than evidence of a functional or performance-related effect. Larger genotype–phenotype studies are needed to clarify the role of IL-6 rs1800795 in football-specific performance.