RANTES Gene Polymorphisms and Asthma Risk: A Meta-Analysis
Received 27 September 2009; accepted 14 December 2009.
Background and Aims
RANTES is a chemokine that assists the recruitment of inflammatory cells including eosinophils. Previous studies revealed that polymorphisms of RANTES were implicated in susceptibility to asthma, but a large number of studies reported apparently conflicting results. We performed a meta-analysis to investigate the association of these polymorphisms and asthma risk.
Methods
Literature-based meta-analysis was supplemented by tabular data from investigation of all relevant studies regarding all polymorphisms of RANTES available before November 30, 2009, with investigation on potential sources of heterogeneity.
Results
Ten case/control studies were included in the meta-analysis, involving a total of 1706 cases and 1685 controls. In a combined analysis, no significant associations with asthma risk were found on these two polymorphisms (−403G/A and −28C/G) without any publication bias. For the −403G/A polymorphism, in subgroup analysis by ethnicity, no significant associations were found in Asians, Europeans or African-Americans; in subgroup analysis by age, no significant associations were found in adults or children. In subgroup analysis by atopic status, the −403G/A polymorphism was significantly associated with asthma risk in atopic asthma (dominant model [OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.09–1.76, p = 0.009; Phet = 0.10]; A vs. G model [OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.04–1.51, p = 0.02; Phet = 0.11] and AG vs. GG model [OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.06–1.77, p = 0.02; Phet = 0.14]).
Conclusions
This meta-analysis suggested that RANTES gene −403G/A polymorphism would be a risk factor among atopic asthma patients. To further evaluate gene-to-gene and gene-to-environment interactions on RANTES polymorphisms and asthma risk, more studies with thousands of patients are required.
aDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, West China Medical School of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
dDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, West China Medical School of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
eDepartment of Health Statistics, West China Medical School of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
fWest China Medical School of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
bChinese Evidence-Based Medicine/Cochrane Center, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
cZhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
Address reprint requests to: Hong Fan, MD, Department of Respiratory Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, GuoXue Xiang 37, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041 China; Phone: 86-28-85423520; FAX: 86-28-85423520
ABSTRACT