title: Association between CD14-159C>T polymorphisms and the risk for alcoholic liver disease: a meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The association between CD14-159C>T polymorphisms and alcoholic liver disease (ALD) risk has been investigated in many studies, but the results were inconsistent. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to investigate the association between the CD14-159C>T polymorphisms and the risk for ALD.
  
  
  METHODS
  A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify the relevant studies from PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Embase. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using either the fixed-effects model or random-effects model on the basis of the heterogeneity test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of eight eligible studies were included in the meta-analyses. The combined results showed no significant association between CD14-159C>T polymorphisms and ALD risk when ALD patients were compared with alcoholics without ALD (T vs. C, OR=1.22, 95% CI 0.84-1.77; TT/TC vs. CC, OR=1.43, 95% CI 0.86-2.37) and when ALD patients were compared with nonalcoholics (T vs. C, OR=1.13, 95% CI 0.90-1.43; TT/TC vs. CC, OR=1.05, 95% CI 0.76-1.46). However, a significant association was observed in the heterozygous comparison (TC vs. CC, OR=3.47, 95% CI 1.93-6.22), whereas a marginal association was observed in the dominant model (TT/CT vs. CC, OR=2.43, 95% CI 1.00-5.91) when alcoholic cirrhosis patients were compared with alcoholics without ALD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This meta-analysis suggests that the CD14-159C>T polymorphism may not be significantly associated with the risk for ALD. Although a significant association was observed between the -159C>T polymorphism and the risk for alcoholic cirrhosis, well-designed studies with large sample sizes are warranted to confirm these results.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Cui-Li
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiao-Ying
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Ke-Qin
authors.initials: KQ
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000235:genetics*; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D018579:Patient Selection; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D017594:Publication Bias; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors