Genetic Association Study of IL23R and IL12B Polymorphisms with Psoriasis in a Romanian Population

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease with a strong genetic basis, driven in part by the dysregulation of the IL-23/Th17 signaling axis. Variants in the IL23R and IL12B genes have been associated with psoriasis susceptibility; however, data from Eastern European populations remains scarce. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the link between IL23R rs11209026 and IL12B rs3213094 polymorphisms and psoriasis susceptibility in a multi-center, Romanian cohort. Methods: We performed a multi-center case-control study including adult patients with clinically and histopathologically confirmed moderate-to-severe psoriasis undergoing biological therapy and controls without autoimmune or chronic inflammatory diseases. Genotyping was performed using TaqMan SNP assays. Associations were analyzed under a dominant genetic model. Results: A significant association was observed between IL23R rs11209026 polymorphism and psoriasis susceptibility. Carriers of the A allele (AA+GA) showed reduced odds of psoriasis compared with the GG homozygotes, emphasizing the protective effect of this specific variant. No significant association was identified for IL12B rs3213094 polymorphism. Conclusions: Our findings support the protective association of IL23R rs11209026 A allele with psoriasis in a Romanian Eastern European population and emphasize the importance of the IL-23 pathway in disease pathogenesis. Alcohol consumption was independently associated with increased risk of psoriasis. Further studies are justified to explore potential pharmacogenetic implications.