INTERLEUKIN-10 PROMOTER POLYMORPHISMS IN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS AND FELTYS-SYNDROME

Objective. To examine whether promoter polymorphisms associated with v ariation in interleukin-10 (IL-10) production are relevant to the deve lopment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or Felty's syndrome (FS). Methods . DNA was obtained from 44 FS patients, 117 RA patients and 295 contro ls. The promoter region between - 533 and - 1120 was amplified by poly merase chain reaction, and polymorphisms detected by restriction enzym e digestor sequence-specific oligonucleotide probing. Results. We foun d no significant difference in allele or haplotype frequencies between the groups. Conclusion. There is no association between FS or RA and these recently identified IL-10 promoter polymorphisms. Other genetic or environmental factors could explain the alterations in IL-10 levels seen in these conditions.