Lack of association of TLR4 polymorphisms with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis: a meta-analysis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to determine whether polymorphisms of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) confer susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).


METHODS
A meta-analysis was conducted on the association between the D299G/T399I polymorphisms and RA/AS (when available) using (1) the allelic contrast, (2) the recessive, (3) the dominant, and (4) the additive models.


RESULTS
A total of eleven relevant studies met the inclusion criteria were identified, including RA: D299G (six studies), T399I (three studies); AS: D299G (five studies), T399I (four studies). Meta-analysis was performed with fixed/random effect models. Overall, no significant RA/AS risk was found in all genetic models when all studies were pooled into the meta-analysis (P>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The present study might suggest that TLR4 D299G/T399I polymorphisms are not associated with RA/AS susceptibility.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, PR China.
Wang-Dong
WD
Xu
Shan-Shan
SS
Liu
Hai-Feng
HF
Pan
Dong-Qing
DQ
Ye
D000483:Alleles; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000235:genetics*; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000235:genetics*
C495345:TLR4 protein, human; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4