title: No association of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist VNTR polymorphism and rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility: a meta analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) is a natural anti-inflammatory molecule that blocks the action of IL-1 signaling. A variable-number tandem repeat polymorphism (VNTR) in IL-1Ra gene (IL-1RN) intron 2 has been reported to be associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with inconsistent results. Here, we perform a meta-analysis to assess the common effect size of this polymorphism on RA susceptibility.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control studies on IL-1RN VNTR association with RA were searched up to January 2010. The effect summary odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals was obtained by meta- analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 15 studies involving in IL-1RN VNTR with RA susceptibility were included in this meta-analysis. No association between A2/A2 genotype and risk of RA to other genotypes (odds ratio [OR], 0.96; 95% CI =0.75-1.24, p=0.77), and between A2 allele and risk of RA (OR, 0.98; 95% CI=0.83-1.16, p=0.85), were demonstrated in the total meta-analysis. In both Asian and European subgroups, the overall effect of A2/A2 genotype and A2 allele also showed no significant difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This meta-analysis demonstrates that the IL-1RN VNTR polymorphism is not related to susceptibility to RA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, 2nd Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhe Jiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China. jingxue77@hotmail.com
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mou
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein / Q000235:genetics*; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
chemical_list: D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein