title: A detailed meta-analysis shows no association between TNF-α -308G/A polymorphism and different forms of glaucoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. To date, several publications have evaluated the association between the tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) -308G/A polymorphism and glaucoma risk. However, the results remain inconclusive. The aim of our study was to clarify the effect of the TNF-α -308G/A polymorphism on glaucoma risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted searches of the published literature in the PubMed database updated to May 2010. A meta-analysis was performed by critically reviewing 7 publications with a total of 1,199 glaucoma cases and 1,189 controls on the -308G/A polymorphism. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of this relationship.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, no association between the TNF-α -308G/A polymorphism and primary open-angle glaucoma or pseudoexfoliation glaucoma risk was found in the A allele versus G allele genetic model (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 0.78-3.59 or OR = 2.44, 95% CI = 0.40-15.04, respectively), the same as genetic models in AG versus GG and AA + AG versus GG. In the stratified analysis by ethnicity and source of control subgroups, a significant association was still not observed in all genetic models.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our meta-analysis provides strong evidence that the TNF-α -308G/A polymorphism is not associated with different forms of glaucoma risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China.
authors.forename: Qian-Qian
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D017889:Exfoliation Syndrome / Q000235:genetics*; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016017:Odds Ratio; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012307:Risk Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha