Introduction: Previous studies about the possible link between genetic polymorphisms of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) risk offer controversial results, and the sample sizes recruited in these trials were relatively modest. To further determine this association, a comprehensive analysis was performed in the present study.
Evidence acquisition: Eligible studies were selected from PubMed, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Biological Medicine Database and Wanfang Database. A total of 623 cases and 1,018 controls for the IL-10 -1082G/A polymorphism, 463 cases and 862 controls for the IL-10 -819T/C polymorphism, and 463 cases and 862 controls for the IL-10 -592A/C polymorphism were finally included in this meta-analysis.
Evidence synthesis: Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of the association by fixed-effects or random-effects models according to heterogeneity. In the present analysis, a strong relationship between the -1082G/A polymorphism in IL-10 promoter and NPC susceptibility was found in all genetic models [allele, 0.65 (0.45-0.94), P=0.02; co-dominant, 0.15 (0.06-0.38), P<0.0001;, dominant 14.37 (2.86-72.09), P=0.001; and recessive fashions, 0.56 (0.45-0.71), P<0.0001)]. However, NPC risk was linked to -592A/C or -819T/C polymorphism in IL-10 promoter only in the co-dominant model in both genetic situations [for -819T/C, 0.36 (0.17-0.78), P=0.01; for -592A/C, 0.39 (0.19-0.80), P=0.01].
Conclusions: Our study has shown that the IL-10 -1082G/A polymorphism might be associated with increased risk of NPC under all genetic models. However, NPC risk is linked to -592A/C or -819T/C polymorphism in IL-10 promoter only in the co-dominant model in both genetic situations.