This meta-analysis included 25 case-control studies assessing 812 ALS patients and 639 control subjects, and found evidence of significant elevations of peripheral blood inflammatory cytokines for TNF-α, TNFR1, IL1β, IL-6, IL-8 and VEGF in ALS patients compared with controls. The gene discussed is IL1B; the disease is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.