Analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphism in lymphokine genes of normal and autoimmune mice.

Analysis of RFLP has been employed in lymphokine genes of autoimmune and normal mice. No polymorphism could be detected in the loci containing IL-2, IL-2 receptor, IL-5, and IFN-gamma in NZB, NZW, BxSB, and MRL/lpr mice when compared with normal mice. Allelic forms were identified in the IL-1 alpha gene of BALB/c and in the IL-4 gene of NZW. The frequency of the Bam HI RFLP in the TNF-alpha gene of NZW which has been proposed to be associated with the development of autoimmune disease in (NZB x NZW)F1 mice has been analyzed in a number of different inbred strains and in wild mice. Since the same allele is inherited in most autoimmune, healthy laboratory and wild mice the TNF-alpha gene does not seem to be one of the causal agents that contributes to the development of autoimmunity in (NZB x NZW)F1 mice.