Associations between IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα polymorphisms and longitudinal trajectories of cognitive function in non-demented older adults

Inflammation is implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in inflammatory cytokine genes are associated with increased AD risk. Whether the same polymorphisms also predict domain-specific cognitive change in cognitively healthy older adults is unclear. Specific SNPs in three cytokine genes, IL-1β (rs16944), IL-6 (rs1800795), and TNFα (rs1800629) were assessed for association with longitudinal trajectories spanning up to 16 years of global cognitive function, episodic memory, attention and working memory, and executive function in a sample of 324 non-demented older adults. Only rs1800629 (TNFα) was associated with significant change in global cognitive function over time [γ = 5.22; 95% CI: 0.61, 9.83; p = 0.027]. Despite an association with AD risk, rs16944 and rs1800795 may not predict cognitive decline in cognitively healthy older adults. The presence of an A at rs1800629 (TNFα) may have broad, protective effects on cognitive function, over time. More validation studies are needed to determine whether specific cytokine SNPs are associated with respective serum levels to further understanding of AD biomarkers that may also serve as markers of cognitive decline.