Genotype combinations of two IL4 polymorphisms influencing IL-4 plasma levels are associated with different risks of severe malaria in the Malian population

We have previously found that children heterozygous for IL4 variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) (rs8179190) or IL4-33 (rs2070874) variants were at risk for severe malaria (SM), whereas homozygous children were protected suggesting a complex genetic control. Hence, to dissect this complex genetic control of IL4 VNTR and IL4-33, we performed further investigation by conditional logistic regression analysis and found a strong interaction between both markers ( p < 10 −6 ). The best-fit model revealed three genotype combinations associated with different levels of SM risk. The highest risk (odds ratio (OR) = 4.8, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 2.0–11.5) was observed for subjects carrying at least one copy of both IL4-33 allele T and IL4 VNTR allele 1, who exhibited higher interleukin (IL)-4 plasma levels ( p = 0.007). Children homozygous for IL4 VNTR allele 2 had a lower SM risk as well as lower IL-4 plasma levels. Our findings indicate that the genetic interaction between these two IL-4 variants is a key factor of SM susceptibility, probably because of its direct role in IL-4 regulation.