Interleukin-4 Genetic Polymorphisms Predict Susceptibility to Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Background/Aim: Interleukin-4 (IL-4) is a key T-helper 2 cytokine involved in immune regulation, allergic responses, and hematological malignancies. Although aberrant IL-4 expression has been implicated in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the contribution of IL-4 genetic polymorphisms to childhood ALL susceptibility has never been investigated. This study investigated the associations of IL-4 rs2243248 (T-1099G), rs2243250 (T-589C), and rs2070874 (T-33C) genotypes with childhood ALL risk in a Taiwanese population. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at China Medical University Hospital (Taichung, Taiwan), involving 266 children diagnosed with ALL and 266 age- and sex-matched cancer-free controls. Genotypes of IL-4 rs2243248, rs2243250, and rs2070874 were determined using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methodology. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in addition to chi-square tests were utilized to evaluate the potential association.