title: Severity of alopecia areata is associated with a polymorphism in the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist gene.
abstract: One of the most potent pro-inflammatory mediators is the early-acting cytokine interleukin-1. Its actions are regulated by a structurally related anti-inflammatory cytokine known as the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist. We have previously characterized a DNA polymorphism in this gene (IL-1rn) and have found associations between allele 2 and several chronic inflammatory diseases. In the present study, we tested the frequency of allele 2 of the IL-1rn gene in 90 patients with alopecia areata compared with 261 healthy controls. There was a significant association between allele 2 of the polymorphism and the severity of alopecia areata. The frequency of allele 2 increased from 24.1% in the control population to 25.9% in patchy alopecia areata, 36.1% in alopecia totalis, and 47.2% in alopecia universalis (p = 0.005). This severity association is similar to that found in other epithelial-related diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, lichen sclerosus, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
authors.affiliation: Section of Molecular Medicine, University of Sheffield, U.K.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Tarlow
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Clay
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cork
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Blakemore
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: McDonagh
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Messenger
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Duff
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000505:Alopecia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics*; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1