CLINICAL RESEARCH
Interleukin 21 gene polymorphism rs2221903 is associated with disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
 
More details
Hide details
 
Submission date: 2016-07-31
 
 
Final revision date: 2016-11-23
 
 
Acceptance date: 2016-12-06
 
 
Online publication date: 2017-07-17
 
 
Publication date: 2017-08-18
 
 
Arch Med Sci 2017;13(5):1142-1147
 
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is a cytokine which plays a significant role in the pathogenesis and disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Genetic polymorphisms in the IL-21 gene may alter the synthesis of IL-21. The aim of this study was to examine IL-21 and IL-21R polymorphisms in patients with RA.
Material and methods: We examined 422 patients with RA and 338 healthy controls. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the IL21 (rs6822844 G>T, rs6840978 C>T, rs2221903 T>C) and IL21R (rs2285452 G>A) genes were genotyped using TaqMan genotyping assays.
Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the distribution of studied genotypes and alleles between RA patients and the control group. To examine whether IL-21 polymorphisms affect disease activity in RA patients, we compared the distribution of IL-21 genotypes between patients with DAS28 ≤ 2.5 (patients with remission of disease symptoms) and patients with DAS28 > 2.5 (patients with active RA). Among patients with DAS28 > 2.5, increased prevalence of rs2221903 CT and CC genotypes was observed (OR = 1.54; 95% CI: 1.04–2.28; p = 0.035).
Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that IL-21 and IL-21R gene polymorphisms are not risk loci for RA susceptibility, whereas the IL-21 rs2221903 polymorphism is associated with disease activity.
eISSN:1896-9151
ISSN:1734-1922
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top