title: Association between HLA-B*27 polymorphisms and ankylosing spondylitis in Han populations: a meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine whether the HLA-B*27 polymorphisms confer susceptibility to ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in Han populations by conducting a meta-analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Publications addressing the association between the HLA-B*27 polymorphisms and susceptibility to AS in Han populations were selected from the MEDLINE, EMBASE and CBMdisc databases. Data was extracted from the studies by 2 independent reviewers. The meta-analyses were performed by Review Manager Version 5.0.24 and STATA Version 9.2 software. From these data, the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen studies with a total of 1900 AS cases and 831 healthy controls were retrieved. Meta-analysis results showed a positive association between B*2704 and susceptibility to AS in Han population (OR=2.20, 95%CI=1.60-3.02, p<0.00001). However, B*2705, B*2706 and B*2707 showed negative associations with susceptibility to AS in Han populations (OR=0.59, 95%CI=0.43-0.81, p=0.001; OR=0.13, 95%CI=0.05-0.37, p=0.0001; OR=0.23, 95%CI=0.11-0.46, p<0.0001; respectively). In subgroup analysis, there was a positive association between B*2704 and susceptibility to AS in the southerners of China, but not in the northerners. Negative associations between B*2705, B*2706 and susceptibility to AS were determined in the southerners of China, but also not in the northerners. Results showed obviously negative associations between B*2707 and susceptibility to AS both in the southerners and northerners of China.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This meta-analysis confirms that B*2704 might be a potential risk factor and B*2705, B*2706, B*2707 might be potential protective factors for AS in Han populations, especially in the southerners of China.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shengjing Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: J-L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Y-J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen