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Updated: May 28, 2026

Candidate Gene Testing in Clinical Cohort Studies with Multiplexed Genotyping and Mass Spectrometry
Published on: June 21, 2018
The association between interleukin-6 polymorphisms and systemic lupus erythematosus: a meta-analysis
1Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. lyhcgh@korea.ac.kr
The interleukin-6 (IL-6) -174 G/C gene variant is linked to increased systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) risk in Europeans. However, the IL-6 -572 G/C polymorphism shows no association with SLE in Asian populations.
Area of Science:
- Immunogenetics
- Molecular Epidemiology
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease with a significant genetic component.
- Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a key pro-inflammatory cytokine implicated in SLE pathogenesis.
- Genetic variations in the IL-6 promoter region may influence disease susceptibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between functional interleukin-6 (IL-6) promoter polymorphisms (-174 G/C and -572 G/C) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) susceptibility.
- To analyze these associations across different ethnic populations through meta-analysis.
Main Methods:
- A meta-analysis was performed on 11 studies examining IL-6 promoter polymorphisms and SLE.
- Allele contrast, recessive, dominant, and additive models were used for association analysis.
- Ethnicity-specific meta-analyses were conducted for European and Asian populations.
Main Results:
- The IL-6 -174 G/C polymorphism was associated with increased SLE risk in the overall study population (OR=1.344, p=0.018).
- Stratification by ethnicity revealed a significant association between the IL-6 -174 G allele and SLE in Europeans (OR=1.264, p=0.020).
- The IL-6 -572 G/C polymorphism showed an association with SLE under the recessive model overall, but no significant association was found in Asians.
Conclusions:
- The IL-6 -174 G/C polymorphism may contribute to SLE susceptibility in European populations.
- The IL-6 -572 G/C polymorphism is not associated with SLE susceptibility in Asians.
- These findings highlight the ethnic-specific genetic influences on SLE development related to IL-6 promoter variations.
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