title: Association between tumor necrosis factor alpha-238G/a polymorphism and tuberculosis susceptibility: a meta-analysis study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) plays a key role in the containment of tuberculosis. The relationship between the TNF -238G/A polymorphism and tuberculosis susceptibility remains inconclusive. A comprehensive meta-analysis was made to provide a more precise estimate of the relationship between them.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multiple search strategies were used. A fixed effect model was takentook to estimate pooled OR with 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association between the TNF -238G/A polymorphism and tuberculosis susceptibility. The Chi-squared-based Q-test and I-squaredI2 statistic were calculated to examine heterogeneity. Begg's funnel plot and Egger's test were used to assess publication bias.
  
  
  RESULTS
  9 case-control studies were included in this meta-analysis. No significant heterogeneity was demonstrated, and no obvious publication bias was detected among the included studies. The meta-analysis indicated that there was no significant association between the TNF -238G/A polymorphism and tuberculosis susceptibility (GA+AA versus GG model: OR=1.005, 95% CI: 0.765-1.319; A versus G model: OR=1.000, 95% CI: 0.769-1.300). In the subgroup analyses by ethnicity, types of TB and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status, no significant association were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The meta-analysis involving 2723 subjects did not detect any association between the TNF -238G/A polymorphism and tuberculosis susceptibility.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Health Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
authors.forename: Zhijiao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xudi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Pu
authors.forename: Siying
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xun
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha