Abstract
Objective To verify the association between serum interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels and IL-6 genetic polymorphisms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as well as its association with disease activity and exocrine gland function. Methods. The study included 295 women, 173 had a diagnosis of RA and 122 were healthy. Clinical data and blood samples were collected. Serum IL-6 levels were measured by flow cytometry, and IL-6 genotypes were performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using TaqMan SNP genotyping assay. Results Patients in the RA group had higher levels of IL-6 (P Conclusions The presence of the C allele of IL-6 rs1800796 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of RA and, if confirmed in other populations, may be used as a genetic marker of the disease.
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