Lack of association of IL-2RA and IL-2RB polymorphisms with rheumatoid arthritis in a Han Chinese population.

Polymorphisms in IL-2RA and IL-2RB genes have been reported to confer susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in European populations. We investigated a possilbe association between SNPs in IL-2RA and IL-2RB genes and RA in a Han Chinese population. rs2104286 in IL-2RA and rs743777 in IL-2RB genes were genotyped in a Han Chinese cohort composed of 500 patients with RA and 600 controls. The levels of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (CCP) and rheumatoid factor were determined in all patients and controls. The genotype and allele frequencies of the two SNPs were compared in patients and controls. Additionally, serum concentrations of anti-CCP and rheumatoid factor were analyzed in the three genotype groups of IL-2RA and IL-2RB genes. There was no overall difference in the genotype and allele frequencies of the two SNPs, rs2104286 in IL-2RA and rs743777 in IL-2RB, between the patients with RA and controls. In addition, none of the subgroups showed any significant association with RA risk after stratification by CCP and rheumatoid factor levels. We conclude that the two genetic variants within IL-2RA and IL-2RB are not associated with genetic susceptibility to RA in Han Chinese. Also, the rs2104286 and rs743777 genotypes were not significantly associated with the concentrations of anti-CCP antibodies or rheumatoid factor.