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Interleukin Genetics Presents Research Linking Vertebral Fractures to Gene Variations in Asian Women With Osteoporosis

Posted on: Wednesday, 1 April 2009, 06:00 CDT

WALTHAM, Mass., April 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Interleukin Genetics, Inc. (NYSE Amex: ILI), announced today that the company will present research findings from a large clinical study on the genetics of osteoporosis and vertebral fractures at the 8th International Symposium on Osteoporosis: Translating Research into Clinical Practice, on April 4, 2009 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. The Company's research poster, titled "Identification of Inflammatory Gene Variants as Biomarkers of Osteoporosis Risk in Asian Women," highlights genetic predisposition risk factors in Asian women for vertebral fractures and osteoporosis and will be presented at 9:45 a.m. in Exhibit Hall C.

The cross-sectional study evaluated over 1,200 Korean and Japanese female subjects. Predisposition for vertebral fracture and elevated bone biomarkers were investigated in candidate genes linked to osteoporosis, with statistical adjustments made for known risk factors such as age, body mass index and drug treatment. The research found Korean women in the study were seventy percent more likely to get vertebral fracture if they carried a genetic variation, also called single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), in the IL-10 gene, while those who carried a SNP in the IL1-RN gene were fifty percent more predisposed to vertebral fracture. The study results also revealed differences in genetic markers between Asian and Caucasian post-menopausal women, despite high susceptibility for disease among both populations.

The study, which was conducted in collaboration with Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea, enrolled a sample of 838 Korean women between the ages of 60 to 84 years and 400 Japanese women within 36 months post-menopause.

"While studies exist that look at the genetics of osteoporosis, there has been minimal research into the genetic risk for vertebral fractures," commented Nazneen Aziz, Vice President of Research and Development. "Spinal or vertebral fractures (VF) are a common clinical manifestation of osteoporosis and often lead to serious consequences, including loss of height, severe back pain, and deformity. These new findings should be valuable both in guiding the medical management of osteoporosis by identifying high-risk patients and in the smarter design of clinical drug trials for vertebral fracture treatment."

About Osteoporosis

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. Chronic hyper-inflammation is thought to be an underlying causative factor in osteoporosis. If not prevented or if left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks. More than 100 million Asian women are estimated to have osteoporosis. The prevalence of osteoporosis is similar between Caucasians and Asian women. The prevalence of osteoporosis in the Japanese female population aged 50 to 79 years is estimated to be about 35 percent. In China, the prevalence of vertebral fracture is about 30 percent for women aged 70 to 79 years, while in India the number of osteoporosis patients was approximately 26 million in 2003, with the numbers projected to increase to 36 million by 2013.

About Interleukin Genetics

Interleukin Genetics, Inc. (NYSE Amex: ILI), is a genetics-focused personalized health company that develops preventive consumer products and genetic tests for sale to the emerging personalized health market. Focused on the future of health and medicine, Interleukin Genetics uses its leading genetics research and scientific capabilities to develop and test innovative preventive and therapeutic products. Interleukin Genetics is headquartered in Waltham, MA. For more information about Interleukin Genetics, its products and ongoing programs, please visit http://www.ilgenetics.com.

Certain statements contained herein are "forward-looking" statements including statements regarding our ability to develop diagnostic, personalized nutritional and therapeutic products to prevent or treat diseases of inflammation and other genetic variations, our ability to screen nutritional compounds for their effects on inflammatory responses and other genetic variations, given specific genetic patterns and our ability to make progress in advancing our core technologies. Because such statements include risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risk of market acceptance of our products, the risk of technology and product obsolescence, delays in product development, the performance of our commercial partners, the availability of adequate capital, the actions of our competitors and other competitive risks, and those risks and uncertainties described in our annual reports on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other documents we file with, or furnish to, the Securities and Exchange Commission. We disclaim any obligation or intention to update these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Interleukin Genetics, Inc.

Source: PR Newswire

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