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Interleukin 1B gene polymorphism is associated with baseline C‐reactive protein levels in healthy individuals Volume 14, numéro 3, July 2003

Auteurs
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Tampere Medical School, Tampere, Finland Laboratory of Atherosclerosis Genetics, Department of Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital and Medical School, University of Tampere, Finland Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland

C‐reactive protein (CRP) is a sensitive marker of inflammation induced by both IL‐6 and IL‐1. Thus, genetic variation in these genes could be associated with the variety in C‐reactive protein levels, and therefore with the severity of the entire inflammatory response. Even a subtle elevation in baseline CRP levels in healthy individuals has been found to significantly increase the risk for cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, to find out the possible role of pro‐inflammatory cytokines in CRP baseline regulation we conducted a study of 338 healthy blood donors whose CRP levels were determined and whose single nucleotide polymorphisms of IL1A(C\T)‐889, IL1B(C\T)‐511, IL1B(C\T) + 3954, IL6(G\C)‐174 and ILRN (a VNTR) both genotyped and haplotyped. The data revealed an association between CRP levels and the IL1B + 3954 genotype. Also, the bilocus haplotype IL1B‐511*1\IL1B + 3954*2 was more frequent in subjects with below median CRP levels (< 0.72 mg\l), and composite genotype analysis of IL1B‐511\IL1B + 3954 supported this finding. Our findings suggest that in healthy people, basal CRP levels are regulated by IL1B but not by IL6 genetics.