Rheumatoid Arthritis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Rheumatoid Arthritis, including details on treatment, symptoms, causes, medication.

Interleukin-18 gene polymorphism, but not interleukin-2 gene polymorphism, is associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

Lee CC, Lin WY, Wan L, Tsai Y, Lin YJ, Tsai CH, Huang CM, Tsai FJ

Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, No. 2 Yuh Der Road, Taichung, Taiwan.

To investigate whether polymorphisms of IL-2 and IL-18 genes are associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), polymorphisms of IL-2 and IL-18 genes were detected by polymerase-chain-reaction-based restriction analysis in the patients with RA and normal controls. The results for the IL-18 gene revealed a significant difference between the patients and the normal controls (p = 0.000003), but there was no significant difference for the IL-2 gene (p = 0.876). The IL-18 gene 105A allele was associated with RA in Chinese patients. Individuals possessing the 105A allele had a higher incidence of RA. A lack of association of IL-2 gene polymorphism between RA patients and healthy individuals was noted. The results of this study provide genetic evidence that IL-18-105A/C polymorphism may play an effective role in RA.

Published 2 May 2007 in Immunogenetics, 59(6): 433-9.
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