title: Association between the functional MHC2TA -168 A/G polymorphism and susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine whether the functional major histocompatibility complex II transactivator (MHC2TA) -168 A/G polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the association between the MHC2TA-168 A/G polymorphism and RA. A total of 15 comparative studies, which included 14,158 patients and 13,642 controls, were included in the meta-analysis. Based on the meta-analysis, there was no association between RA and the MHC2TA -168 G allele in the study subjects (OR = 1.046, 95 % CI = 0.987-1.108, p = 0.130) or Caucasians (OR = 1.027, 95 % CI = 0.986-1.070, p = 0.193). However, the country-specific meta-analysis revealed an association between the MHC2TA -168 G allele and RA in the Swedish population (OR = 1.131, 95 % CI = 1.023-1.250, p = 0.016). A direct comparison between rheumatoid factor (RF)-positive and RF-negative patients revealed that the frequency of the G allele was significantly lower in RF-positive patients (OR = 0.783, 95 % CI = 0.628-0.975, p = 0.029) than in RF-negative patients. This meta-analysis demonstrated that the MHC2TA -168 A/G polymorphism is not associated with susceptibility to RA in Caucasians.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, 73, Inchon-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 136-705, Korea. lyhcgh@korea.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Young Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Cheol
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Bae
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005787:Gene Frequency; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D015995:Prevalence; D013548:Sweden; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics*; D044465:White People
chemical_list: C083728:MHC class II transactivator protein; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators
keywords: MHC2TA; Meta-analysis; Polymorphism; Rheumatoid arthritis