Genotype frequencies did not deviate from predictions of the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium either in IL1B -31C>T (for mild malaria patients, P = 0.58; for cerebral malaria patients, P = 0.44) or in IL1RA VNTR (for mild malaria patients, P = 0.27; for cerebral malaria patients, P = 0.73). Here, IL1B is linked to malaria.