Relationship between IL-10 gene −1082A/G and −592C/A polymorphisms and the risk of hepatitis C infection: a meta-analysis

Summary Increasing evidence suggests that interleukin-10 (IL-10) gene promoter polymorphisms may be associated with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and HCV clearance. To more precisely estimate the association between these variants and the risk of HCV infection, we performed a meta-analysis of 26 studies describing the IL-10–1082A/G, –819C/T, –592C/A genotypes, including 4039 chronic HCV infection cases and 2902 controls. When compared with a healthy population, the –1082GG allele had a 43% increased risk of chronic HCV infection in combined populations (GG vs GA + AA: odds ratio (OR) = 1.433, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.052–1.952, P = 0.023). In subgroup analysis by ethnicity, a significant increased risk was associated with the −1082GG genotype in the Caucasian population (GG vs AA: OR = 1.390, 95% CI: 1.108–1.744, P = 0.004; GG vs GA + AA: OR = 1.621, 95% CI: 1.267–2.075, P = 0.000). However, no significant association was found in Asian, African or Chinese populations. Moreover, a higher distribution of −592A was found in the spontaneously recovered population (AA vs CC: OR = 0.585, 95% CI = 0.387–0.884, P = 0.011; AA + AC vs CC: OR = 0.738, 95% CI = 0.551–0.988, P = 0.041; AA vs AC + CC: OR = 0.788, 95% CI = 0.664–0.935, P = 0.006) than that in the chronic HCV infection population. In conclusion, the IL-10–1082GG allele may increase the risk of chronic HCV infection in Caucasian population, and people carrying the IL-10–592A allele are more likely to clear HCV spontaneously.