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Circulating levels of inflammatory markers can predict cardiovascular disease risk. To identify genes influencing the levels of these markers, we genotyped 1,343 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 1,184 African Americans from the Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study. Using admixture mapping, we found a significant association of interleukin 6 soluble receptor (IL-6 SR) with European ancestry on chromosome 1 (LOD 4.59), in a region that includes the gene for this receptor (IL-6R). Genotyping 19 SNPs showed that the effect is largely explained by an allele at 4% frequency in West Africans and at 35% frequency in European Americans, first described as associated with IL-6 SR in a Japanese cohort. We replicate this association (P<<1.0x10-12) and also demonstrate a new association with circulating levels of a different molecule, IL-6 (P<3.4x10-5). After replication in 1,674 European Americans from Health ABC, the combined result is even more significant: P<<1.0x10-12 for IL-6 SR, and P<2.0x10-9 for IL-6. These results also serve as an important proof of principle, showing that admixture mapping can not only coarsely localize but can also fine map a phenotypically important variant.

Significant differences in the adjusted risk of stress incontinence among Hispanic, white, black and Asian-American women suggest the presence of additional, as yet unrecognized, risk or protective factors for stress incontinence.

Purpose-A relationship between childhood urinary symptoms and adult lower urinary tract symptoms in women is often clinically suspected. In this analysis we investigated the relationship between childhood and adult urinary symptoms in middle-aged women.Materials and Methods-A population based cohort of 2,109 women 40 to 69 years old who were members of a large health maintenance organization was randomly selected from age and race strata. Through self-reported questionnaires, women recalled a childhood history of and current urinary lower urinary tract symptoms, including frequent daytime urination, nocturia, urinary incontinence, nocturnal enuresis and UTIs. Current incontinence was also classified as urge or stress incontinence. Multivariate analysis was used to evaluate the association between childhood and current lower urinary tract symptoms controlling for age, race, hysterectomy status, parity, oral estrogen use, body mass index and diabetes.

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