Cytokine gene haplotypes with a potential effect on susceptibility to malaria in sympatric ethnic groups in Mali

► The Fulani group has a more pro-inflammatory response due to the frequencies of high-producing alleles of IL1β and low-producing alleles of IL10. ► IL-6 could potentially also contribute to the relatively lower susceptibility to malaria in the Fulani ethnic group. ► The analysed TNF polymorphisms rather seem to associate with the severity of the infection and not the susceptibility for the infection itself.