Association between IL-21 polymorphism and systemic lupus erythematosus: a meta-analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Several case-control studies have been conducted to investigate the association between Interleukin-21 (IL-21) polymorphisms and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) susceptibility, and most of the studies focused on IL-21 rs907715 and rs2221903 polymorphisms. Given the inconsistent results from these studies, the present meta-analysis aimed to obtain a more precise estimate of the association between IL-21 rs907715 and rs2221903 polymorphisms and SLE. Studies regarding these specific polymorphisms and SLE were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, and CBM. Data were extracted and meta-analysis was performed using the STATA 12.0 software. For the IL-21 rs907715 polymorphism, seven sets of comparisons involving 7977 SLE cases and 8097 healthy controls were considered. Results showed that there were significant differences in the IL-21 rs907715 genotype distribution between SLE patients and healthy controls in the comparisons of all genetic models. Upon stratified analysis by ethnicity, a similar result was found in the Caucasian and African-American population. For the IL-21 rs2221903 polymorphism, seven sets of comparisons involving 7990 SLE cases and 8098 healthy controls were considered. Results showed that there were significant differences in the IL-21 rs2221903 genotype distribution between SLE patients and healthy controls in the comparisons of GG versus AA and GG versus GA+AA. Upon stratified analysis by ethnicity, a similar result was found in the Caucasian population. This meta-analysis suggests that the both IL-21 rs907715 and rs2221903 polymorphisms may be associated with SLE susceptibility. As current evidence remains limited, further studies are needed to warrant the association between IL-21 rs907715 and rs2221903 polymorphisms and SLE susceptibility.

WITHDRAWN: Interleukin-21 receptor gene polymorphism is associated with hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma in Chinese patients

“…Previous reports showed that SNPs in the IL-21 gene, such as rs907715 and rs2221903, increased susceptibility to Grave's disease [32,33] and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the Europeans and Americans [34,35], as well as the Chinese [20,36,37]. Moreover, IL-21 rs4833837 SNP was identified as a protective factor for psoriasis [13].…”

Systemic lupus erythematosus biomarkers: the challenging quest

“…There are increased IL-21producing peripheral CD4 + T cells in SLE patients, correlating with a concurrent increase in memory B cells and Th17 cells and reduced Treg cells [137]. Genetic variants in the IL-21 gene are noted to be associated with SLE [138,139]. A recent clinical trial of an IL-21 inhibitor, NNC0114-0006, has been terminated according to ClinicalTrials.Gov.…”

Genetic polymorphisms near IL-21 gene associated with Th17 cytokines confer risk for systemic lupus erythematosus in Chinese Han population

“…34 Previous studies have found that polymorphisms of IL-21 gene have significant association with autoimmune diseases including SLE, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and multiple sclerosis. 17,35–37 The results of our study suggested that polymorphisms upstream of this gene also have a potential risk effect on SLE, and we found, for the first time, that rs11937669 and rs11725913 were associated with SLE susceptibility in the Chinese Han population, with T and G allele, respectively, being potential risk alleles. Moreover, we described an interesting relationship between SNP rs11937669 and levels of Th17-related cytokines in SLE patients.…”