Associations of IL-23R polymorphisms with ankylosing spondylitis in East Asian population: a new case-control study and a meta-analysis.

Interleukin-23 receptor (IL-23R) has been confirmed to be associated with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in Caucasian. However, whether they are associated with AS in East Asian population remains unidentified. Here, we conducted a new case-control study investigating this relationship in Chinese Han population and then performed a meta-analysis in East Asian population. The Chinese Han study included 200 cases and 200 controls. Genotyping was completed using the chip-based matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Allelic associations were analysed using contingency tables. In the meta-analysis, 1384 cases and 1710 controls from five different studies and the new Chinese Han study were combined using Review Manager software Version 5.1.1. Mantel-Haenszel test was used to calculate fixed effects pooled ORs. No association with AS was observed in the Chinese Han study. Meta-analysis showed that no SNP was significantly associated with AS in East Asian population. In conclusion, we found no evidence for association between IL-23R and AS in East Asian population. Major attention should be paid to other genes belonged to IL-23 signalling pathway network in the future.