Novel genetic variation of human interleukin-21 receptor is associated with elevated IgE levels in females

The interleukin-21 receptor (IL21R) was recently discovered as a novel member of the class-l-cytokine-receptor family and is selectively expressed in lymphoid tissues. IL21R shows strong sequence homologies to the interleukin-4 receptor alpha chain gene (IL4RA). In addition, both genes are adjacent and share structural similarity. We analyzed all the exons of the human IL21R gene and its 5 flanking region for sequence variation. We identified four novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and genotyped 300 healthy blood donors. Total serum IgE levels were measured in all subjects and associated with IL21R SNPs. Results revealed a significant association of one IL21R polymorphism (T-83C) with elevated IgE levels (> 100 kU/l) in females (OR = 3.000, Cl = [1.163, 8.385], P = 0.015, n = 138). This was confirmed in a second prospectively collected group of female blood donors (OR = 2.535, Cl = [0.927;6.733], P = 0.046, n = 123). In contrast, no effects were observed in male subjects in either population. These findings identify IL21R as a possible novel target locus influencing IgE synthesis in female individuals.