Interleukin-1β and receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) gene polymorphisms and the prediction of the risk of end-stage renal disease

Cytokines play an important role in the pathogenesis of kidney disease and its progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Inflammation is regulated by the genes of the interleukin 1 (IL-1) gene cluster. Therefore, it was hypothesized that a polymorphism in this gene cluster may be associated with the risk of ESRD. Polymorphisms in the IL-1 gene cluster were examined in a cohort of 222 ESRD patients and 206 controls of similar ethnicity. These individuals were genotyped for IL-1 β (promoter -511 and exon-5 +3953) genes and a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) in the IL-1 receptor antagonist gene (IL-1Ra). There was significant difference in genotype frequencies between ESRD patients and control group for IL-1β (promoter region and exon-5) and IL-1Ra gene polymorphism (p