title: Does the imbalance between agonistic and antagonistic IL-1 play a role in progression of febrile convulsions?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Inflammation may play an important role in the etiopathology of febrile convulsions (FC). IL-1β is an important mediator of inflammation and fever is also important information of FCs. It is suggested that there may be a relationship between polymorphisms of IL-1β and FC. The aim of the present study is to investigate the polymorphic situation of promoter region of IL-1β in two sites (-31 and -511) and assess the IL-1 RA VNTR polymorphisms in FC patients in comparison with healthy control groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty FC patients and 50 healthy controls (HC) were included in the study. DNA extraction was performed by QIAamp DNA Mini Kit from peripheral blood lymphocytes of all subjects. IL-1β promoter polymorphisms were analyzed by PCR-RFLP, IL-1 RA VNTR polymorphisms were analyzed by PCR-agarose gel electrophoresis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Genotype distribution of IL-1β promoter region in position -31 was statistically different between FC patients and control groups. Allele I and allele II of IL-1 RA distribution were also statistically different in FC patients and healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have found a significant association between IL-1 RA allele distribution and FC and a poor correlation of T/C substitution at the -31 position of IL-1β promoter in FC. Further studies are needed to investigate the gene expression levels and polymorphic situation in same samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Goztepe Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. dr.fozen@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ozen
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koçak
authors.forename: Ii
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Halil Yildirim
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hacimuto
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sen
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein / Q000235:genetics*; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D003294:Seizures, Febrile / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D053583:Interleukin-1beta