Interleukin 1ß Gene Polymorphism Association with Severe Renal Manifestations and Renal Sequelae in Henoch-Schönlein Purpura

MAHSA M. AMOLI, MARIA C. CALVIÑO, CARLOS GARCIA-PORRUA, JAVIER LLORCA, WILLIAM E.R. OLLIER, and MIGUEL A. GONZALEZ-GAY

ABSTRACT.

Objective. To assess the influence of the interleukin (IL)-1ß gene (-511 C/T) in the incidence of Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) and determine its possible implication in severe systemic complications of HSP, in particular severe renal involvement and permanent renal dysfunction (renal sequelae).

Methods. Patients from Northwest Spain with primary cutaneous vasculitis classified as HSP according to proposed criteria were studied. All patients were required to have had at least 2 years' followup. Patients and ethnically matched controls were genotyped for IL-1ß gene (-511 C/T) polymorphism by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).

Results. Forty-nine Caucasian patients (38 of them younger than 21 years) who fulfilled classification criteria for HSP and 148 controls were examined. No allele or genotype differences between the whole group of HSP and controls were observed. However, all 5 patients who developed severe nephropathy during the course of disease carried the rare T allele compared with only 16 of the remaining 44 patients (p_corr = 0.01). A significant association between carriage of the -511(IL-1ß) T allele and renal sequelae (p_c = 0.02; OR: 3.6, 95% CI: 1.3-10.0) was also found.

Conclusion. In unselected patients with cutaneous vasculitis who fulfill classification criteria for HSP, carriage of IL-1ß (-511) T allele appears to influence severity of renal involvement. (J Rheumatol 2004;31:295-8)

Key Indexing Terms:

HENOCH-SCHÖNLEIN PURPURA
IL-1ß GENE (-511 C/T) POLYMORPHISM
DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY
SEVERE NEPHRITIS
RENAL SEQUELAE

---

From the Centre for Integrated Genomic Medical Research, School of Epidemiology, and Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom; the Divisions of Rheumatology and Pediatrics, Hospital Xeral-Calde, Lugo; and the Division of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain.

M.M. Amoli, MD, PhD; W.E.R. Ollier, PhD, FRCPath, Centre for Integrated Genomic Medical Research, School of Epidemiology and Health Sciences, University of Manchester; M.C. Calviño, MD, Pediatrics Division; C. Garcia-Porrua, MD, PhD; M.A. Gonzalez-Gay, MD, PhD, Rheumatology Division, Hospital Xeral-Calde; J. Llorca, MD, PhD, Division of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Cantabria.

Address reprint requests to Dr. M.A. Gonzalez-Gay, Rheumatology Division, Hospital Xeral-Calde, c/o Dr. Ochoa s/n, 27004 Lugo, Spain. E-mail: miguelaggay@hotmail.com

Submitted April 7, 2003; revision accepted July 15, 2003.

---