Several studies have described polymorphisms in the genes encoding interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha) and IL-1beta cytokines and their implication in the onset of Alzheimer disease or in linkage disequilibrium with an as yet to be identified second locus on chromosome 2. However, these results have been associated with the sporadic forms of Alzheimer disease. Here we present data on the effects of the interleukin 1-beta exonic polymorphism (+3953) using a series of cohort healthy control samples and in vitro protein secretion assays.