Disease Markers
Volume 12 (1994), Issue 2, Pages 135-139
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/1994/464787
Lack of Association between an Interleukin-I Receptor Antagonist Gene Polymorphism and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
1Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia
2Department of Rheumatology, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia
Received 8 September 1994
Copyright © 1994 Hindawi Publishing Corporation. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Non-MHC linked genes may contribute to genetic predisposition to the development of systemic lupus erythematosus. The possibility that cytokine genes may be involved was raised by the observation of increased frequency in expression of an uncommon allele of an interleukin-I receptor antagonist gene polymorphism and SLE in a recent U.K. study. We have not been able to show any significant differences in expression of this allele in SLE patients as a whole or in any patient subgroups. Our results actually show a slight decrease in the expression of this allele in SLE patients compared with healthy controls and in SLE patients with malar rash compared with SLE patients without malar rash.