Variants in the IL7RA gene confer susceptibility to multiple sclerosis in Caucasians: evidence based on 9734 cases and 10436 controls

• Main Authors: Hong Liu, Jian Huang, Mengmeng Dou, Yong Liu, Biying Xiao, Xu Liu, Zunnan Huang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nature Publishing Group 2017-04-01
• Series: Scientific Reports
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-01345-8

Abstract Recently, numerous genome wide association studies (GWAS) and other case-control association studies examining the relationship between interleukin-7 receptor α chain (IL7RA) gene rs3194051, rs987107, rs11567686, and rs11567685 variants and multiple sclerosis (MS) risk have been conducted, but the conclusions have been inconsistent. The main objective of this meta-analysis was to more precisely explore the association of these four IL7RA variants with MS development. Twenty-seven eligible studies involving 9734 cases and 10436 controls were included in the present meta-analysis. Power calculation, publication bias, sensitivity analysis and cumulative meta-analysis were performed to derive a reliable conclusion. Our study indicated three IL7RA loci were significantly associated with increasing MS risk (rs3194051: recessive model: OR = 1.22, 95% CI 1.08–1.38; rs987107: recessive model: OR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.22–1.69; and rs11567686: dominant model: OR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.01–1.37). Additionally, IL7RA rs11567685 variants might not be related to MS development. In all, IL7RA locus polymorphisms could play an important role in the predisposition to MS, which could contribute to a better understanding the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.