title: Meta-analysis of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 gene polymorphism and Alzheimer's disease in East Asians.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The association of genetic polymorphism of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been controversial and has been investigated only in several small-sample studies. In the present study, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the cross-sectional association of ALDH2 variants and AD risk in East Asian populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Trials were retrieved through MEDLINE, EMBASE, J-STAGE and the China National Knowledge Internet databases (from January 1, 1994 to November 1, 2010) without any restriction on language. Data were abstracted by a standardized protocol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found four studies of 821AD patients and 1380 healthy controls that qualified for the analysis. The variant ALDH2 genotype GA/AA was not associated with increased AD risk (odds ratio (OR) = 1.35; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.75-2.42; p = 0.32), even after stratification for the status of apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 allele. However, in the subgroup analyses, the association was significant for men (OR = 1.72; 95% CI = 1.10-2.67; p = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study adds to the evidence that ALDH2 GA/AA genotype increases the risk of AD among East Asian men, although the effect size is moderate.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Public Health, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Pan-Pan
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Yu-Guo
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jia-Li
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xing Li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics*; D000071396:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics*; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4 / Q000235:genetics; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005202:Asia, Eastern / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008239:Lysine / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D018698:Glutamic Acid; C096127:ALDH2 protein, human; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase; D000071396:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial; D008239:Lysine