Expanding the Genetic Insights Into Leprosy: An Updated Meta-Analysis of Interleukin-10 Variants

This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the association between interleukin-10 (IL-10) -819 C/T (rs1800871), -592 C/A (rs1800872) and -1082 A/G (rs1800896) polymorphisms and leprosy susceptibility by analyzing multiple genetic models in the Asian and Caucasian populations. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Embase (January 2001 to February 2025) following PRISMA guidelines. Case-control studies reporting genotype distributions for IL-10 polymorphisms in leprosy cases and controls were included. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated under allelic, recessive, dominant and over-dominant models. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's Q test and the I² statistic. Publication bias was evaluated using Egger's test and funnel plots. A total of 13 studies were included, comprising 5509 leprosy cases and 8135 controls. The -1082 A/G variant exhibited a significant protective effect across allelic (A vs. G OR = 0.73, 95% CI 0.59-0.91, p = 0.005), dominant (AA+AG vs. GG OR = 0.45, 95% CI 0.25-0.80, p = 0.006) and the over-dominant models (AG vs. AA+ GG OR = 0.45, 95% CI 0.25-0.80, p = 0.006). Under the dominant model, the -819 C/T (CC+CT vs. TT OR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.61-0.96, p = 0.02) and -592 C/A (CC+CA vs. AA OR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.52-0.97, p = 0.03) polymorphisms also showed significant protective effects, suggesting a potential role of heterozygosity in reducing leprosy susceptibility. Subgroup analysis indicated stronger protective effects in Asians. Power analysis confirmed that the included studies had sufficient sample sizes to detect significant associations (α error probability < 0.05). This meta-analysis supports the protective role of IL-10 polymorphisms, particularly the -1082 A (rs1800896) allele, in reducing leprosy susceptibility. These findings underscore the role of genetic variation in disease susceptibility and suggest that IL-10 polymorphisms could serve as biomarkers for leprosy susceptibility.