title: Polymorphisms in the interleukin-1 gene cluster in children and young adults with systemic meningococcemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An association has been described between mortality in children with meningococcal disease and functional polymorphisms in the interleukin-1 (IL1) cluster. We undertook a multicenter study to evaluate associations of these polymorphisms in a Central European population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved 95 Middle European pediatric hospitals. We collected blood samples from, and clinical information about, 285 previously healthy children with meningococcal infection. We used a newly developed multiplexed mutagenic separated PCR assay to analyze 6 polymorphisms within the IL1 cluster: IL1A (-889)C/T, IL1A (+4845)G/T, IL1B (-511)C/T, IL1B (-31)C/T, IL1B (+3954), and IL1RA (+2018)C/T. We studied the same polymorphisms in a comparison group of 481 healthy newborns.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Genotype frequencies between patients and the comparison group differed significantly only for the IL1RA (+2018)C/T variant: The CC genotype was more frequent in patients (11%) than in healthy controls (5%; P = 0.008). In the patient group, the C allele was significantly more prevalent (67%) in nonsurvivors than in survivors (42%; P = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The IL1RA (+2018)C/T polymorphism is associated with the risk of meningococcal disease and with its outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Pediatrics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Endler
authors.forename: Rodrig
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marculescu
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Starkl
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Binder
authors.forename: Gotho
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Geishofer
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zöhrer
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Resch
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zenz
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mannhalter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005810:Multigene Family; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1