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Association between the interleukin-4, interleukin-13 polymorphisms and asthma: a meta-analysis

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Abstract

A numbers studies had been reported that the polymorphisms in the Interleukin 4 (IL-4) and Interleukin 13 (IL-13) genes were associated with susceptibility to asthma. However, the results were inconsistent and inconclusive. We carried out a meta-analysis of case–control genetic association studies to assess whether the combined data showed this association by using a genetic model-free approach. Thirty studies (total 12,781 asthma and 11,500 controls) for the IL-4 C-33T and C-589T, IL-13 C-1112T and G+2044A with asthma were included in the meta-analysis. The results indicated that there were an association between the IL-4 C-33T (P = 0.006) and C-589T (P = 0.04), IL-13 C-1112T (P = 0.002) and G+2044A (P = 0.04) and susceptibility to asthma. And the definition of asthma subgroup meta-analysis demonstrates that the IL-4 C-33T is not associated with nonatopic or atopic, and IL-4 C-589T and IL-13 C-1112T polymorphisms are not associated with atopic. In the ethnicity subgroup meta-analysis, the IL-4 −589T (P = 0.003) and the IL-13 −1112T (P < 0.00001) alleles are associated with asthma among Caucasian, but not on the IL-13 +2044A allele. In conclusion, IL-4 C-33T and C-589T, IL-13 C-1112T and G+2044A could be proposed as asthma susceptible SNPs. Further investigation in larger studies and meta-analysis is required.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30900413), Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province of China (LC201024).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Histology and Embryology, Harbin Medical University, 194 Xuefu Road, Nangang, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China

    Zhen-dong Wang, Duan Lian, Jing-ling Shen, Ruizhen Sun, Wang Xu, Lei Lei & Lian-hong Jin

  2. Division of Respiratory Disease, The Fourth Hospital of Harbin Medical University, 37 Yiyuan Street, Nangang, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China

    Zhang Xin & Shou-de Jin

  3. Embryo and Stem Cell Engineering Laboratory, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

    Jing-ling Shen & Lei Lei

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  1. Zhen-dong Wang
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  2. Duan Lian
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  4. Ruizhen Sun
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Correspondence to Lian-hong Jin or Shou-de Jin.

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Zhen-dong Wang, Duan Lian and Jing-ling Shen contributed equally to this study.

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Wang, Zd., Lian, D., Shen, Jl. et al. Association between the interleukin-4, interleukin-13 polymorphisms and asthma: a meta-analysis. Mol Biol Rep 40, 1365–1376 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-012-2180-0

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