Polymorphisms in the interleukin-1β (IL-1B) and interleukin-1α (IL-1A) genes on risk of febrile seizures: a meta-analysis

The aim of the current study was to clarify the role of four common genetic polymorphisms in the interleukin-1 beta (IL-1B) and interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1A) genes on risk of febrile seizures (FS) by means of meta-analyses. We searched for studies published until February 2018 using ISI Web of Science, Pubmed, Wanfang, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using MetaAnalyst version Beta 3.13. Seventeen case-control studies were included for meta-analysis. For the IL-1B rs16944 polymorphism, the summary analysis of studies conducted among Caucasian populations showed a significant association in the CT+TT versus CC contrast (OR 1.434, 95% CI 1.153-1.785), while the pooled analysis for Asian populations yielded a significant estimate in the TT versus CC+CT comparison (OR 1.393, 95% CI 1.051-1.846). No association was observed between the IL-1B rs1143627, IL-1B rs1143634, and IL-1A rs1800587 polymorphisms and FS risk. Sensitivity analyses excluding studies showing deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium did not alter conclusions. The findings of our meta-analysis suggest that the IL-1B rs16944 polymorphism may be an important genetic determinant for FS in Caucasian and Asian populations.