The association between genetic polymorphisms of the interleukin-23 receptor gene and susceptibility to uveitis: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Uveitis is an eye inflammatory disease, which is sometimes associated with underlying systemic disease. Interleukin-23 plays an important role in autoimmune disease. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the association between the interleukin-23 receptor (IL-23R) and susceptibility to uveitis. METHODS Published literature from PUBMED and EMBASE were retrieved. Seven studies were included in this meta-analysis, covering a total of 1309 cases of uveitis and 2400 controls. Meta-analyses were conducted on the associations between uveitisand rs7517847, rs17375018, and rs11209032 polymorphisms in the IL-23R gene. RESULTS There were no significant associations between IL-23R polymorphisms and uveitis with regard to the following alleles: for G allele vs. T allele of rs7517847, OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.92-1.12, P = 0.83; for A allele vs. G allele of rs17375018, OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.47-0.99, P = 0.05; rs11209032 OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.84-1.51, P = 0.43. In contrast, there were significant associations between the AA + AG gene versus GG gene of rs17375018 and the AA gene versus AG + GG gene of rs11209032 polymorphism with uveitis (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.35-0.99, P = 0.04; OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.10-1.59, P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis suggests that each allele of IL-23R, including rs7519847, rs17375018 and rs11209032 was negatively associated with uveitis. However, homozygote models, including the rs17375018 GG genotype and rs11209032 AA genotype, were significantly associated with uveitis.