Correlations Between Immuno-Inflammatory Biomarkers and Hematologic Indices Stratified by Immunologic SNP Genotypes
<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Chronic low-grade inflammation drives cardiometabolic risk; functional SNPs may influence individual cytokine and hematologic phenotypes. We investigated genotype-specific relationships between circulating immuno-inflammatory biomarkers and routine blood indices in apparently healthy adults. <b>Methods</b>: In this cross-sectional study, 155 fasting volunteers (26-72 years) were genotyped for <i>IL1RN rs1149222</i> and <i>TNF-proximal rs2071645</i>. Serum IL-1β, TNF-α, oxidized LDL (oxLDL) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were quantified by ELISA, and complete blood counts were recorded simultaneously. Genotype effects were tested with ANOVA/Kruskal-Wallis; Spearman correlations and age-, sex-, BMI-adjusted linear models explored genotype-stratified associations. <b>Results</b>: Among 155 adults, <i>IL1RN rs1149222</i> significantly affected IL-1β (TT > TG ≈ GG; ANOVA <i>p</i> = 0.042) and oxLDL (overall <i>p</i> = 0.036), with the clearest difference between heterozygotes and major-allele homozygotes. The same variant produced a modest fall in erythrocyte count and hemoglobin restricted to heterozygotes (RBC <i>p</i> = 0.036; Hb <i>p</i> = 0.041). <i>TNF-proximal rs2071645</i> strongly raised TNF-α (GG > GA > AA; <i>p</i> < 0.0001) and led to a moderate oxLDL increase, driven by GA versus AA carriers (pairwise <i>p</i> = 0.013), while leaving red-cell indices and CRP unchanged. Baseline leukocyte counts, differentials and derived ratios showed no genotype dependence, and multivariable models revealed no epistatic interaction between the two loci. <b>Conclusions</b>: <i>IL1RN rs1149222</i> and TNF-related <i>rs2071645</i> generate two independent inflammatory signatures-an IL-1β-oxidative axis linked to mild erythropoietic suppression and a TNF-lipid axis without hematologic shift. Integrating targeted genotyping with inexpensive hematologic ratios may refine early risk stratification and guide tailored preventive strategies in ostensibly healthy populations.
Authors
- Cristina Popa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8739-4679)
- Alexandra Mihăilescu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9875-529X)
- Paul Tutac (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5373-381X)
- I Zaharia
- Ahmed Abu-Awwad (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6185-0960)
- Simona-Alina Abu-Awwad (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6793-5361)
- Nicoleta Andreescu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2647-4234)
- Simona Sorina Farcaş (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5912-2211)
- Claudia Alexandrina Goina
Institutions
- Clinical Emergency Hospital Bucharest (RO)
- Spitalul Clinic Judeţean de Urgenţă "Pius Brînzeu" Timişoara (RO)
- Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara (RO)
- Spitalul Clinic Dr. Victor Babes (RO)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Clinical Medicine
- Published
- 2025-08-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14165792
- Primary Topic
- Immune Cell Function and Interaction
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00