title: Differences in the genotypes and plasma concentrations of the INTERLEUKIN-1 receptor antagonist in black and white South African asthmatics and control subjects.
abstract: The allelic frequency of a variable tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism in intron 2 of the IL-1 Ra gene was studied in black and white patients with asthma as well as control individuals. The plasma IL-1 Ra concentration was also determined in asthmatics and compared to control individuals. The 410-bp allele of the IL-1 Ra was significantly increased in all black subjects (90%) as compared to all white subjects (74%, P<0.0001), while the 240-bp allele was significantly reduced in all black subjects (11%) as compared to all white subjects (27%, P<0.0001). There was no difference in the frequency of the VNTR of the IL-1 Ra between black asthmatics and black controls and between white asthmatics and white controls. The IL-1 Ra levels were significantly increased in black and white patients with severe or moderate asthma as compared to patients with mild asthma. Increased plasma concentrations of the IL-1 Ra was found to be associated with disease severity in all asthmatic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Department of Paediatrics, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Johannesburg, Parktown, South Africa.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pillay
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gaillard
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Halkas
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Dewar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D007438:Introns; D008875:Middle Aged; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D012016:Reference Values; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D013019:South Africa; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C507763:IL1RN protein, human; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins