The aim of this study was to determine whether
tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and
interleukin-6 (IL-6) promoter polymorphisms confer susceptibility to
periodontitis in ethnically different populations. A literature search was performed using PubMed and Embase and a meta-analysis of the identified studies was conducted to explore the associations between TNF-α -308 A/G, -238 A/G,
IL-6 promoter -174 G/C and -572 G/C polymorphisms and
periodontitis. Seventeen comparison studies for the TNF-α -308 A/G polymorphism and three studies for the TNF-α -238 A/G polymorphism were included in the meta-analysis. And 16 separate studies for the
IL-6 -174 G/C polymorphism and 10 studies for the
IL-6 -572 G/C polymorphism were considered in our meta-analysis. Analysis after stratification by ethnicity indicated that the TNF-α -308 A allele was associated with
periodontitis in Brazilian, Asian, and Turkish populations (OR=0.637, 95% CI=0.447-0.907, p=0.013; OR=0.403, 95% CI=0.204-0.707, p=0.009; OR=1.818, 95; % CI=1.036-3.189, p=0.037). The meta-analysis showed no association between the TNF-α -238 A/G polymorphism and
periodontitis. The meta-analysis indicated an association of the
IL-6 -174 G/C polymorphisms with
periodontitis in Brazilian populations (OR for GG+GC=2.394, 95% CI=1.081-5.302, p=0.031). Stratification by ethnicity and disease type indicated an association between the
IL-6 -572 G allele and
chronic periodontitis (OR=1.585, 95 % CI=1.030-2.439, p=0.036), and
periodontitis in Europeans (OR=2.118, 95% CI=1.254-3.577, p=0.005). This meta-analysis demonstrates that the TNF-α -308 A/G polymorphism confers susceptibility to
periodontitis in Brazilian, Asian and Turkish populations. The
IL-6 -174 G/C polymorphism may confer susceptibility to
periodontitis in Brazilians, and the
IL-6 -572 G/C polymorphism may be associated with susceptibility to
periodontitis in Europeans, and
chronic periodontitis.