Lack of association or interactions between the IL-4, IL-4Ralpha and IL-13 genes, and rheumatoid arthritis.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

A feature of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an imbalance between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Several recent studies have implicated polymorphism in the IL-4 signalling pathway in the development of erosive RA. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of polymorphism in the IL-4, IL-4Ralpha and IL-13 genes in RA, including an examination of epistasis.

Methods

A total of 965 Caucasian patients with RA (cases) and 988 healthy control individuals (controls) were genotyped for five variants in the IL-4/IL-13 gene cluster (5q31.1) and two functional variants IL-4Ralpha (16p12.1). Individual genotype and haplotype frequencies were compared between cases and controls. The odd ratios were calculated with asymptotic 95% confidence interv

SUBMITTER: Marinou I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2575626 | biostudies-literature | 2008

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature