A rare allele combination of the interleukin-1 gene complex is associated with high interleukin-1b plasma levels in healthy individuals.

INTRODUCTION The inflammatory reaction in infectious and autoimmune diseases is regulated by a delicate balance between the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The IL-1 gene complex contains the genes for IL-1alpha, IL-1beta and IL-1Ra, of which the first two are strong inducers of inflammation, while IL-1Ra binds to the IL-1 receptors with high affinity without activating the cell, thus being an effective antagonist (for [...]