title: Association of cytokine gene polymorphisms (IL‑6, IL‑12B, IL‑18) with Behcet's disease : A meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to investigate the association of cytokine gene polymorphisms with the risk of Behcet's disease (BD) via comprehensive meta-analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Embase and PubMed databases covering the period from the earliest possible year to May 2015 were searched. A total of 13 eligible articles including 2,065 BD patients and 1,559 controls were recruited. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of the associations. Potential publication bias was evaluated using Egger's linear regression test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Meta-analysis indicated associations between IL‑6 rs1800795, IL‑12B rs3212227, and IL‑18 rs1946518 in all study subjects: IL‑18 rs1946518 in the dominant model (IL‑18 rs1946518: OR = 0.48, 95 % CI: 0.34-0.70, P = 0.000) and the homozygote model (IL‑18 rs1946518: OR = 0.40, 95 % CI: 0.25-0.65, P = 0.000); and IL‑6 rs1800795 and IL‑12B rs3212227 in the dominant model (IL‑6 rs1800795: OR = 0.53, 95 % CI: 0.39-0.72, P = 0.000; IL‑12B rs3212227: OR = 1.26, 95 % CI: 1.06-1.48, P = 0.007; IL‑18 rs1946518: OR = 0.46, 95 % CI: 0.33-0.65, P = 0.000). No significant evidence for associations of IL‑18 rs187238 polymorphisms with BD susceptibility was detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In summary, this meta-analysis finds that IL‑6 rs1800795 and IL‑18 rs1946518 polymorphisms decrease the risk of BD. However, IL‑12B rs3212227 increases BD susceptibility. Further large-scale investigation of this association is necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatism, the Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, 646000, Lu Zhou, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatism, the Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, 646000, Lu Zhou, China.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatism, the Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, 646000, Lu Zhou, China.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatism, the Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, 646000, Lu Zhou, China.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatism, the Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, 646000, Lu Zhou, China.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatism, the Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, 646000, Lu Zhou, China. hechengsong2015@163.com.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D053762:Interleukin-12 Subunit p40 / Q000235:genetics*; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000235:genetics*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D005819:Genetic Markers; C500879:IL12B protein, human; C000589760:IL18 protein, human; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D053762:Interleukin-12 Subunit p40; D020382:Interleukin-18; D015850:Interleukin-6
keywords: Alleles; Etiology; Homozygote; T-cells; Vasculitis