title: Association between KIR polymorphisms and ankylosing spondylitis in populations: a meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Published association studies of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in populations are inconsistent. The aim of this study is to determine whether the KIR polymorphisms confer susceptibility to AS in populations by conducting a meta-analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A computer search was carried out up to August 2013 for literature pertaining to AS and KIR polymorphisms. Publications addressing the association between the KIR polymorphisms and susceptibility to AS in populations were selected from the Pubmed, Elsevier Science Direct, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) databases. The odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 13 case-control studies in 9 articles were included in this meta-analysis. Meta-analysis results identified two positive associations of 2DS4 and 3DS1 with susceptibility to AS in populations. In subgroup analysis, there was a positive association between 2DS4 and susceptibility to AS in Asians, but not in Caucasians. And there were associations between 3DL1, 3DS1 and susceptibility to AS in Caucasians, but not in Asians. Results of subgroup analysis also showed that there were associations between 2DL5, 2DS4, 2DS5, 3DL1, 3DS1 and susceptibility to AS in HLA-B*27-positive patients and HLA-B*27-positive healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This meta-analysis confirms that 2DS4 and 3DS1 might be potential risk factors for AS in populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University , Hefei, Anhui , P. R. China.
authors.forename: Dazhi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Si
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Shanshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guixing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Zhenhua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Guo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Dongqing
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Yanfeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Shengqian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zongwen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shuai
authors.forename: Faming
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D054340:Receptors, KIR / Q000235:genetics*; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D054340:Receptors, KIR
keywords: Ankylosing spondylitis; Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors; Meta-analysis; Polymorphism