Abstract
Background - Circulating levels of acute phase reactant proteins such as plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) are likely influenced by multiple genes regulating the innate immune response. Methods and Results - We screened a set of 16 inflammation-related genes for association with CRP in a large population-based study of healthy young adults (n=1627). Results were validated in 2 independent studies (n=1208 and n=4310), including a pooled analysis of all 3 studies. In the pooled analysis, the minor allele of IL1RN 1018 (rs4251961) within the gene encoding interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) was significantly associated with higher mean plasma log(CRP) level (P<1×10). The same IL1RN 1018 allele was associated with higher mean plasma log(IL-6) levels (P=0.004). In the pooled analysis, the minor allele of IL1RN 13888 (rs2232354) was associated with higher fibrinogen, (P=0.001). The IL1RN 1018 and 13888 variant alleles tag a clade of IL1RN haplotypes linked to allele 1 of an 86-bp VNTR polymorphism. We confirmed that the IL1RN 1018 variant (rs4251961) was associated with decreased cellular IL-1RA production ex vivo. Conclusions - Common functional polymorphisms of the IL1RN gene are associated with several markers of systemic inflammation.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1407-1412 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology |
Volume | 28 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 1 2008 |
Keywords
- C-reactive protein
- Fibrinogen
- IL-1 receptor antagonist
- Inflammation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine