Introduction: Infertility is a condition affecting many women worldwide. Various factors contribute to the increased risk of infertility in women, among which genetic factors and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have the most significant impact. Interleukin-27 (IL-27) is a member of the anti-inflammatory cytokine. family that acts as a bridge between innate and adaptive immunity, with its activity encompassing both regulatory and pro-inflammatory functions.
Methods: In this case-control study, DNA was extracted from blood samples of 150 infertile women and 150 healthy women as controls, matched for age. The samples were then analyzed using the ARMS-PCR technique. The results were statistically analyzed using SPSS software (version 26).
Results: The findings of this study indicate that the distribution and allele frequency of the rs26528 polymorphism follow Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in both the patient and control groups. Additionally, the mean age of participants in both groups, with standard deviations of 6.02 and 6.40, reflects considerable age variability within the study sample. Genotypic distribution analysis revealed a P-value of 0.01, which is less than 0.05, indicating a significant association between this polymorphism and the risk of infertility in women from southern Iran. The analysis of the genotypic association of rs26528 with the likelihood of infertility showed that, considering the TT genotype as the reference (given that the T allele is considered the ancestral allele), individuals with the TC genotype have a significantly higher risk of infertility compared to those with the CC genotype (P < 0.05, OR > 1). These results emphasize the importance of investigating the role of this polymorphism in the onset of infertility and suggest that it may serve as a foundation for further studies on genetic factors associated with infertility in various populations.
Conclusion: Given the established role of the IL-27 gene and certain polymorphisms of this gene in infertility in the women studied, it can now be concluded that, considering TT as the reference genotype, the rs26528 genotype significantly increases the risk of infertility in women.