title: Polymorphisms in interleukin-1beta and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist genes and malaria in Ghanaian children.
abstract: We have investigated the possible associations between polymorphisms in two interleukin-1 (IL-1) genes and severity of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Ghanaian children with cerebral malaria, severe anaemia or uncomplicated malaria and controls. There was no significant difference in genotype and allele frequencies in IL-1beta exon 5 or interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) polymorphisms between the studied groups, suggesting that the two polymorphisms may not be involved in the pathogenesis of severe malaria. When parasitaemias in uncomplicated malaria patients were evaluated, a significantly higher level of parasitaemia was observed among carriers of IL-1beta A2 allele as compared with noncarriers of this allele (P = 0.01). The mean parasitaemia in an age-matched asymptomatic group did not reveal such associations. These data suggest that IL-1beta exon 5 allele 2 may play a possible role in the clinical outcome of uncomplicated malaria.
authors.affiliation: Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gyan
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Goka
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Cvetkovic
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Perlmann
authors.forename: A-K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Lefvert
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Akanmori
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Troye-Blomberg
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D005869:Ghana; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D016779:Malaria, Cerebral / Q000235:genetics; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; C507763:IL1RN protein, human; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D007375:Interleukin-1; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins