title: Relationship between Ureaplasma urealyticum vaginal colonization and polymorphism in the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist gene.
abstract: The relationship between polymorphisms in the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) gene and microbial vaginal colonization was examined in 88 asymptomatic women of reproductive age. Alleles of the intron 2 region of the IL-1ra gene were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR was also used to detect Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis, and Candida albicans; bacterial vaginosis (BV) was identified by clinical criteria. Among the 31 women with vaginal U. urealyticum, only 3 (9.7%) were homozygous for allele 2 of the IL-1ra gene; 21 (36.8%) of the 57 women who were negative for this organism were positive for allele 2 (P=.006). Only 7 women were positive for M. hominis; none were allele 2 homozygotes as opposed to 24 (29.6%) of the 81 women negative for M. hominis. There was no relation between C. albicans or BV and any IL-1ra allele. Reduced susceptibility to vaginal colonization with mycoplasmas may be associated with homozygosity of the 2 allele of the IL-1ra gene.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10021, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jeremias
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giraldo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Durrant
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ribeiro-Filho
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Witkin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D019535:Mycoplasma hominis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016990:Ureaplasma urealyticum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: C507763:IL1RN protein, human; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins