LACK OF ASSOCIATION BETWEEN AN INTERLEUKIN-1 RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST GENEPOLYMORPHISM AND SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS

Non-MHC linked genes may contribute to generic predisposition to the d evelopment of systemic lupus erythematosus, The possibility that cytok ine genes may be involved was raised by the observation of increased f requency in expression of an uncommon allele of an interleukin-1 recep tor antagonist gene polymorphism and SLE in a recent U.K. study. We ha ve not been able to show any significant differences in expression of this allele in SLE patients as a whole or in any patient subgroups. Ou r results actually show a slight decrease in the expression of this al lele in SLE patients compared with healthy controls and in SLE patient s with malar rash compared with SLE patients without malar rash.