Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a pleiotropic cytokine and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Unlike IL-10 protein, few studies have focused on the potential association between IL-10 receptor (IL-10R) and SLE. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of a single nucleotide polymorphism, rs2834167 (A/G), in IL-10R2 gene (IL-10RB) with SLE in a Chinese Han population. A total of 667 patients with SLE and 676 healthy controls were enrolled in the present study. IL-10RB rs2834167 (A/G) polymorphism was specified from genomic DNA using TaqMan genotyping assay on a 7300 real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction system. We found that the frequency of A allele for rs2834167 in patients (44.53 %) was significantly higher than in controls (40.16 %) (χ (2) = 5.24, P = 0.022). Allele A was associated with a 1.196-fold (95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.026-1.394) greater risk for the occurrence of SLE compared with the G allele. And both genotypes AG and AA were associated with the susceptibility to SLE as compared with the GG genotype (AG versus GG, odds ratio (OR) = 1.332; 95 %CI, 1.047-1.696; AA versus GG, OR = 1.373; 95 %CI, 1.004-1.878). We also found a statistical significance in the dominant model (AA + AG versus GG, OR = 1.343; 95 %CI, 1.070-1.687). However, no significant evidence for the association of IL-10RB rs2834167 (A/G) polymorphism with any clinical manifestations was detected. Our observations indicate that IL-10RB rs2834167 (A/G) polymorphism may be a potential biomarker for susceptibility to SLE.