Title:Analysis of Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Variable Number Tandem Repeat Variant in Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis
Volume: 21
Issue: 1
Author(s): Akin Tekcan, Serbulent Yigit*, Ayse F. Nursal, Mehmet K. Tumer, Kaan Yerliyurt and Nilufer Kuruca
Affiliation:
- Gaziosmanpasa University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Biology, Tokat,Turkey
Keywords:
Aphthous stomatitis, proinflammatory cytokines, Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist, polymerase chain reaction,
variable number tandem repeat, variant.
Abstract:
Background/Aims: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is one of the common oral inflammatory
diseases. As immunological and genetic factors have been held responsible for the pathogenesis
of RAS, the objective of this study was to determine whether the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist
(IL-1Ra) gene variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) variant is a risk factor for the development
of RAS in Turkish patients and to define its contribution to the increased risk.
Methods: The IL-1Ra VNTR variant was evaluated in 169 RAS patients and 171 healthy controls by
the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method.
Results: No statistically significant difference was found in the genotype distributions and allele frequencies
of IL-1Ra VNTR variant between RAS patients and healthy controls.
Conclusion: Lack of association between IL-1Ra VNTR variant and RAS could indicate that IL-1Ra
has no significant role in the pathophysiology of RAS. However, it still appears to be very worthwhile
to continue to search for cytokine gene variants in order to predict the development of such disease.