IL-1 receptor antagonist gene polymorphism in patients with secondary acute myeloid leukaemia

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) may not only occur as a de novo disease but may evolve from a preceding myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or may result from therapy for a previous malignancy. These secondary acute myeloid leukaemias (sAML) possess some common biological and clinical features of the corresponding de novo disorders. The cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) is known to have a role in haematopoiesis, and modulation of its action might contribute to the deregulation of proliferation seen in leukaemia. It has recently been reported that a variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism in the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) gene is closely associated with the severity of many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, and may also play a role in the pathogenesis of sAML. We sought to confirm this finding in a large group of patients classified as having sAML. We found no differences in either the genotypic or allele frequencies of the polymorphism studied when compared with those of normal controls or other haematological disorders. No differences were observed in allele frequencies between younger and older patients, or between those patients who had an antecedent myelodysplasia and those who had received prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy. We conclude that the described polymorphism in the IL-1ra gene is not associated with the development of sAML.