Archives of dermatological research
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Arch. Dermatol. Res. · Oct 2015
Meta AnalysisEthnicity-stratified analysis of the association between IL-18 polymorphisms and systemic lupus erythematosus in a European population: a meta-analysis.
We performed a meta-analysis to identify the association between polymorphisms in the promoter of interleukin-18 (IL-18) and susceptibility for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Genotype data for three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs rs360719, rs1946518, and rs187238) in the IL-18 promoter were extracted from 20 studies of three different ethnicities (European, Asian, and South American). Data from each ethnicity group and their combinations were analyzed. ⋯ We also examined genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from an Asian subpopulation (Chinese) for the association between rs1946518 and SLE, but found no association (P = 0.83). The third SNP, rs187238, was not significantly associated with SLE in any of the populations examined. In summary, this study identified a significant association between SLE and two SNPs within the IL-18 gene promoter region (rs360719 and rs1946518) in a European population, but not in populations of Asian origin.