Research article

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN INTERLEUKIN-21 RS2055979 C/A GENE POLYMORPHISM AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS SUSCEPTIBILITY IN A SAMPLE OF IRAQI PATIENTS.

Ahmed Hasan Mahdi* and Da’ad Ali Hussain

Online First: February 22, 2023


Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory disease that mostly affects the joints. It is the most common inflammatory joint condition, characterized by cartilage and bone erosion, resulting to functional decline and disability if left untreated. As a result, cartilage and joint degradation, as well as disability. This study aims to find a relationship between interleukin -21 rs2055979 C/A polymorphism and predisposition to rheumatoid arthritis development in a sample of Iraqi patients. The study includes one hundred subject of Iraqi patients were diagnosis in the Rheumatology Unit of AL-Hindyia General Hospital in Karbala province. Samples were divided to two groups. The first group was including patients while second group was including apparently healthy. DNA was extracted, then the Genotyping polymorphism (rs2055979) of the gene Interleukin-21 was done by RT-PCR. The results of rheumatoid factors-antibody showed highly significant association in patients with rheumatoid arthritis than healthy control with (P0.01). The results of C-reactive protein showed that were significant association between the two study groups in C-reactive protein with (P0.01). Also, the results of rheumatoid factor showed that were significant association between the two study groups in RF with (P0.01) The genotyping and allele frequencies of IL-21 rs2055979 C/A for the two groups appeared that there were significant differences in genotype between patients and controls. Compared CA genotype between control and patients, heterozygous CA genotype was significant different from controls (X²=2.55, OR=0.615); and the CC genotype was significantly increased risk for RA (X²=8.59, OR=1.86).

Keywords

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Genetic polymorphism, CRP and RF