Additional genetic susceptibility for rheumatoid arthritis telomeric of the DRB1 locus.

Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has an estimated genetic contribution of 30-50%, approximately one-third of which arises from the major histocompatibility complex on 6p21.3. Many studies have implicated alleles of DRB1 that encode a shared epitope.

Variation within genes encoding interleukin-1 and the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist influence the severity of meningococcal disease.

Background: Genetically determined variation in proinflammatory cytokine release influences severity of meningococcal disease and other serious infections.

Objective: To ascertain the relative frequencies of single nucleotide polymorphisms within the interleukin-1 gene locus among patients who survived and those who died of meningococcal disease and a control population of blood donors.

Design: Association study.

The Influence of Interleukin Gene Polymorphism on Expression of Interleukin-1β and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α in Periodontal Tissue and Gingival Crevicular Fluid.

Background: A specific composite genotype of the polymorphic interleukin-1 (IL-1) gene cluster has recently been associated with severe periodontitis. One polymorphism of the composite periodontitis-associated genotype (PAG) has been functionally linked with expression of high levels of IL-1. The purpose of this study was to test whether gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of IL-1ß and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), and gingival tissue levels of IL- 1α, IL-1β, and TNFα correlate with PAG, and to examine the effec; of conservative periodontal therapy on these levels.