Interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL1Ra) VNTR polymorphism influences circulatory IL1Ra levels and development of SLE in South Indian Tamils

IL1Ra VNTR polymorphism analysis in South Indian Tamil SLE patients revealed that the genotype A1A2 was associated with lupus susceptibility. The VNTR polymorphism encoding the allele with two repeats was associated with reduced circulatory concentration of IL1Ra in SLE patients, likely predisposing them to develop clinically severe form of the disease.