title: Toll-like receptor 4 polymorphisms to determine acute pancreatitis susceptibility and severity: a meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the correlation of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) gene Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile polymorphisms and acute pancreatitis (AP) risk and severity.
  
  
  METHODS
  To get a more precise estimation of the relationship, a comprehensive search was performed to examine all the eligible studies of TLR4 Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile polymorphisms and AP risk. The odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were used to assess the strength of the association. Publication bias was analyzed by Begg's funnel plots.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, six studies with 1255 cases and 998 controls were included in this meta-analysis. Totally, no significant associations were found between TLR4 Asp299Gly or Thr399Ile polymorphisms and AP risk using five models with high homogeneity (P > 0.05). Furthermore, stratification analysis by ethnicity or assay also found no significant association in these two polymorphisms (P > 0.05), and TLR4 Asp299Gly was not associated with AP severity (P > 0.05). In addition, no publication bias was found in these studies (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our current meta-analysis suggests that TLR4 Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile polymorphisms may not be risk factors to AP susceptibility.
authors.affiliation: Xiao-Jin Zhou, Li-Yi Cai, Jing-Ying Xiang, Yan Zhang, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi 214002, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Jin
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Xiao-Jin Zhou, Li-Yi Cai, Jing-Ying Xiang, Yan Zhang, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi 214002, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Xiao-Jin Zhou, Li-Yi Cai, Jing-Ying Xiang, Yan Zhang, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi 214002, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Li-Yi
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Xiao-Jin Zhou, Li-Yi Cai, Jing-Ying Xiang, Yan Zhang, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi 214002, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Jing-Ying
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.affiliation: Xiao-Jin Zhou, Li-Yi Cai, Jing-Ying Xiang, Yan Zhang, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi 214002, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012307:Risk Factors; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C495345:TLR4 protein, human; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4
keywords: Acute pancreatitis; Risk; Single nucleotide polymorphisms; Toll-like receptor 4