Polymorphisms in cytokine-related genes play pivotal roles in immune regulation and disease susceptibility. Psoriasis, a chronic immune-mediated skin disorder, is associated with variations in several interleukin genes. Among these, IL-12B (rs3212227) and IL-23R (rs11209026) are of particular interest because of their role in the Th17 signaling pathway. To clarify the relationship between these variants and psoriasis susceptibility, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using data from case–control studies published up to May 2025. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated under different genetic models using fixed- or random-effects methods. The analysis revealed that the IL-12B rs3212227 polymorphism was significantly associated with an increased risk of psoriasis, particularly among the Asian population, whereas the IL-23R rs11209026 variant showed a significant association in Caucasians. These findings suggest that IL-12B and IL-23R gene polymorphisms may contribute to ethnicity-specific genetic susceptibility to psoriasis. Larger population-based studies are required to confirm these associations and elucidate the functional mechanisms underlying these genetic effects.
Sekar et al. (Wed,) studied this question.