Deficiency of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist in mice differentially affects bone properties under different genomic backgrounds

Abstract When IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1rn) is knocked out, mice have shown strain background dependent and major QTL regulated susceptibility to spontaneously inflammatory arthritis disease (SAD). The impact on bone properties resulting from the interactions of IL-1rn, genomic background strains, and the QTL locus, is unknown. Bone properties in the four specifically bred mouse strains with mutation of IL-1rn and variations in genomic components were investigated with high-resolution MicroCT and genomic analytical tools. Two congenic mouse strains were also measured to evaluate the influence on bone properties by a QTL in the region in chromosome 1. Our results reveal that several bone phenotypes, including bone mineral density (BMD), bone volume, tibial length, and cortical thickness of the tibia are different between wild type and IL-1rn knockout mice in both Balb/c and DBA/1 backgrounds, but IL-1rn knockout affects BMD differently between the two mouse strains. The absence of IL-1rn decreases BMD in Balb/c mice but increases BMD in DBA/1−/− mice compared to their respective wild type counterparts. A QTL transferred from the Balb/c genetic background which affects arthritis in congenic strains appears to also regulate BMD. While several genes, including Ctsg and Prg2, may affect BMD, Ifi202b is the most favored candidate gene for regulating BMD as well as SAD. In conclusion, the previously mentioned bone phenotypes are each influenced in different ways by the loss of IL-1ra when considered in mice from varying genomic backgrounds.