title: Association between interferon-γ +874 T/A polymorphism and susceptibility to autoimmune diseases: a meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to explore whether the interferon (IFN)-γ +874 T/A polymorphism plays a role in modifying the risk of autoimmune diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  A meta-analysis was conducted on the association between the IFN-γ +874 T/A polymorphism and autoimmune diseases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen studies with a total of 2952 patients and 3832 controls were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed no association between autoimmune diseases and the IFN-γ +874 T allele in all study subjects (odds ratio (OR)=1.023, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.894-1.171, p = 0.738), but stratification by ethnicity indicated an association between the IFN-γ +874 T allele and autoimmune diseases in Latin American subjects (OR = 0.780, 95% CI = 0.629-0.953, p = 0.015). Meta-analysis also revealed an association between autoimmune diseases and the IFN-γ +874 T/A polymorphism in Caucasian and Middle Eastern subjects under a dominant inheritance model (OR = 0.686, 95% CI = 0.489-0.964, p = 0.003; OR = 1.414, 95% CI = 1.102-1.813, p = 0.006). Meta-analysis by autoimmune disease type indicated an association between ITP and the IFN-γ +874 T allele (OR = 1.753, 95% CI = 1.228-2.503, p = 0.002), but not for vasculitis, vitiligo, and auto-immune thyroid disease. Meta-analysis also showed a significant association between the IFN-γ +874 T/A polymorphism and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) under the dominant model (OR = 1.668, 95% CI = 1.114-2.497, p = 0.013).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This meta-analysis indicates that the IFN-γ +874 T/A polymorphism may play a significant role in modifying the risk of autoimmune diseases in Caucasian, Latin American, and Middle Eastern subjects, and in particular shows that the IFN-γ +874 T/A polymorphism is associated with increased genetic susceptibility to idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and SLE.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea lyhcgh@korea.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: The Hospital for Autoimmune Diseases, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: S-C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Bae
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C573415:IFNG protein, human; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: Autoimmune diseases; IFN; meta-analysis; polymorphism