The polymorphism of the interleukin-10 (IL-10) promoter and tumor necrosis factor receptor II (TNFRII) in Vietnamese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was examined by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method with genomic DNA and allele-specific primers. In the frequency of IL-10 promoter 1082 genotypes consisting of AA, A/G and GG, the allele frequency of G in the SLE patients was significantly higher than that in the healthy controls. On the other hand, there was no statistical difference in the frequency of TNF receptor (TNFR) II 196 genotypes between the SLE patients and healthy controls. It was therefore suggested that the polymorphism of the IL-10 promoter, but not TNFRII, might participate in the pathogenesis of SLE in Vietnamese.