Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T/A1298C polymorphisms and susceptibility to Parkinson's disease: a meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND
The association between the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T/A1298C polymorphisms and susceptibility to Parkinson's disease (PD) was controversial in previous studies. The present study was therefore designed to investigate a more reliable estimate.


METHODS
15 studies were identified by a search of PubMed, EBMBASE, PDGENE, Elsevier, Springer Link, CBM (Chinese Biomedical Database), CNKI (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure), VIP (Chinese), and Wanfang (Chinese) databases, up to April 2013. Odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using fixed effects model or random effects model. The subgroup analyses were made on the ethnicity.


RESULTS
MTHFR C677T polymorphism had a significant association with susceptibility to PD in all genetic models (for T vs. C: OR=1.24, 95% CI=1.11-1.38; for TT+CT vs. CC: OR=1.27, 95% CI=1.10-1.46; for TT vs. CC: OR=1.56, 95% CI=1.22-1.98; for TT vs. CT+CC: OR=1.43, 95% CI=1.14-1.79). Subgroup analyses by ethnicity revealed that the association between the MTHFR C677T polymorphism and PD existed in Caucasian population and Asian population. However, no association was detected between the MTHFR A1298C polymorphism and PD.


CONCLUSIONS
Results from this meta-analysis supported that the MTHFR C677T polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of PD. The MTHFR A1298C polymorphism may not increase the susceptibility to PD. Further studies are required to confirm our findings.
Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China.
Yi-Le
YL
Wu
Xiu-Xiu
XX
Ding
Ye-Huan
YH
Sun
Hui-Yun
HY
Yang
Liang
L
Sun
D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / Q000235:genetics*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
C573423:MTHFR protein, human; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)
Homocysteine; MTHFR; Meta-analysis; Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase; Parkinson's disease; Polymorphism