Association of interleukin 12A gene polymorphisms with oral lichen planus in Chinese population

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a common autoimmune disorder with genetic and environmental factors contributing to its etiology. Interleukin (IL) 12 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine, which favors the differentiation of T helper 1 (Th1) cells, and forms a link between innate resistance and adaptive immunity. This study aimed to investigate the association between OLP susceptibility and clinical type in Chinese Han population with single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IL-12A gene.

Five SNPs of the IL-12A gene at positions rs2243115, rs2243123, rs583911, rs568408, and rs2243143 were performed in 292 patients with OLP and 686 healthy controls from East China. The five SNPs were genotyped by TaqMan PCR method. The genotype and allelic frequencies were calculated and analyzed.

There was a significant difference in rs568408 genotype distributions between patients and controls (P = 0.043). Additionally, there were highly significant increases in rs568408 genotype distributions and allele A frequencies in the erosive OLP group as compared to the control group (P = 0.011, OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.133 -2.732).

Our study indicated that the rs568408 variation in IL-12A gene could influence disease susceptibility, and was associated with the severity of OLP in our East Chinese cohort.