Joint Destruction Less Severe With Interleukin 4 Polymorphism

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Joint Destruction Less Severe With Interleukin 4 Polymorphism

A DGReview of : " IL-4 VNTR gene polymorphism in chronic polyarthritis. The rare

allele is associated with protection against destruction "

Rheumatology Online

11/02/2000

By

A rare polymorphism in the interleukin 4 gene is associated with less joint

destruction in rheumatoid arthritis patients, researchers find. The allele may

serve as a useful marker in the prognosis of the disease.

Investigators assessed the allelic frequencies for the variable number of tandem

repeat (VNTR) polymorphisms in intron 3 of the interleukin 4 (IL-4) gene and for

the IL-4 receptor alpha chain transition at nucleotide 1902. Rheumatoid

arthritis patients (n=335) and controls (n=104) were included in the study.

Results showed that the rare IL-4(2) allele was more common in patients with

non-destructive rheumatoid arthritis than in controls or those with destructive

rheumatoid arthritis.

Patients who carried this allele had less joint destruction and a lower

erythrocyte sedimentation rate, the investigators report.

" This IL-4 VNTR gene polymorphism may be a protective factor for severe joint

destruction in rheumatoid arthritis that could be used as a prognostic marker

early in the course of the disease, " they conclude.

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