Genetic Polymorphisms in Interleukin-6 and Their Association with Severity of Odontogenic Infections in Kano State: A Pilot Molecular Study

Individual variability in the inflammatory response to odontogenic infections may be partially attributable to genetic polymorphisms in cytokine-encoding genes. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a central mediator of the acute-phase inflammatory response, has been associated with infection severity in various clinical contexts, but its role in odontogenic infection outcomes has not been explored in the Nigerian population. This pilot molecular study investigates the frequency of IL-6 gene promoter polymorphisms (specifically the -174 G/C and -572 C/G variants) and their association with the clinical severity of odontogenic infections among patients presenting at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and Rasheed Shekoni Specialist Hospital, Jigawa State, within the North West geopolitical zone. Sixty patients with confirmed odontogenic infections were recruited alongside 60 healthy controls. Blood samples were collected for DNA extraction and genotyping by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Severity was assessed using the Hospital Severity Score incorporating temperature, white cell count, number of fascial spaces involved, and need for intensive care. Preliminary results suggest that the GG genotype at -174 was associated with higher infection severity scores and longer hospital stay, though statistical power requires confirmation with a larger sample. The study is the first to explore IL-6 polymorphism in odontogenic infections in the Nigerian population and opens a line of inquiry with potential implications for personalized management of severe maxillofacial infections. Keywords: IL-6 polymorphism, odontogenic infections, molecular study, Kano, fascial space infections.