Absence of association between interleukin 1 alpha and oligoarticular juvenile chronic arthritis in UK patients

Objective. To determine whether interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) polymorphisms are associated with UK oligoarticular juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA). Patients and controls. A well-characterized population of 164 UK Caucasian oligo-ICA patients and a control panel of 173 unrelated healthy UK Caucasian individuals. Methods. The IL-1 alpha promoter mutation at -889 was examined using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay. The cases and controls were also genotyped for an IL-1 alpha intronic microsatellite repeat. Results. No association was observed between IL-1 alpha polymorphisms and UK oligoarticular JCA patients. In particular, no association between IL-1 alpha polymorphisms and chronic anterior uveitis was found. Conclusions. IL-1 alpha is not associated with oligoarticular JCA in UK patients. This differs markedly to findings for IL-1 alpha in Norwegian JCA patients.