Interleukin-1 gene polymorphisms in axial spondyloarthritis Tunisian patients.

INTRODUCTION Axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a common inflammatory arthritis characterized by axial skeletal inflammation, enthesitis, and association with HLA-B27. Pro-inflammatory cytokines play important roles in the regulation of inflammatory response and seem to be good candidates involved in the development of this pathology. AIM To assess the influence of the functional polymorphisms of single nucleotide polymorphims (SNPs) of IL-1 and IL-1 Ra in SpA susceptibility Tunisian patients. METHODS AND RESULTS One hundred and one patients and 100 ethnic-matched healthy controls were genotyped. Susceptibility to SpA was showed with SNP's: C/T of IL-1α (-889) (p=0.0001) and 1/1 of IL-1Ra (p 4) (p=0.033). CONCLUSION Genetic polymorphisms of pro-inflammatory IL-1/IL-1Ra cytokines seem to be involved in susceptibility and clinical course of SpA in Tunisian patients.