Some previous studies already explored associations between interleukin-10 (IL-10) polymorphisms and ischemic stroke (IS), with conflicting results. In this meta-analysis, we aimed to better analyze the relationship between IL-10 polymorphisms and IS in a larger pooled population. We performed a systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and CNKI. We calculated pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to estimate associations between IL-10 polymorphisms and IS. Totally 17 studies with 3610 cases and 5,171 controls were included. A significant association with IS was observed for IL-10 rs1800896 polymorphism in AA versus GG + GA (recessive model, p = .001, OR = 1.42, 95%CI 1.15-1.75, I2 = 48%) in overall population. Further subgroup analyses showed that rs1800896 polymorphism was significantly associated with cerebral infarction in GG versus GA + AA (dominant model, p = .02, OR = 2.04, 95%CI 1.14-3.64, I2 = 59%), GA versus GG + AA (overdominant model, p = .03, OR = 0.50, 95%CI 0.27-0.93, I2 = 64%) and G versus A (allele model, p = .01, OR = 1.92, 95%CI 1.16-3.17, I2 = 53%). Nevertheless, no any positive findings were detected for rs1800871 and rs1800872 polymorphisms in pooled analyses. In conclusion, our findings indicated that IL-10 rs1800896 polymorphism was significantly associated with individual susceptibility to IS, especially for cerebral infarction.
Keywords: Interleukin-10 (IL-10); ischemic stroke (IS); meta-analysis; polymorphisms; susceptibility.