title: Association between a vascular endothelial growth factor gene polymorphism (rs2146323) and diabetic retinopathy: a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Previous studies have associated the VEGF rs2146323 polymorphism with the risk of DR. However, the results of these studies are inconsistent. A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the association between the VEGF rs2146323 polymorphism and the risk of DR.
  
  
  METHODS
  The PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Google Scholar literature databases until March 2015 were searched. The differences in the studies were expressed in the form of an odds ratio (OR) and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity among the studies was tested using the I(2) statistic based on the Q test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of four studies (598 cases and 709 controls) were included in the meta-analysis. A significant association was found involving the rs2146323 polymorphism in the dominant model (CA + AA VS. CC) (OR = 1.38, CI = 1.10-1.72, P = 0.005) and the co-dominant model (CA VS. CC) (OR = 1.37, CI = 1.08-1.74, P = 0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our meta-analysis confirmed the association between the VEGF rs2146323 polymorphism and the risk of DR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology of the Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Laboratory of Clinical Visual Sciences of Tongji Eye Institute, and Department of Regenerative Medicine, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. zengying@tongji.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology of the Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Laboratory of Clinical Visual Sciences of Tongji Eye Institute, and Department of Regenerative Medicine, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Fangjie
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Development, Great China Region of Novartis, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yongqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology of the Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Laboratory of Clinical Visual Sciences of Tongji Eye Institute, and Department of Regenerative Medicine, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology of the Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Laboratory of Clinical Visual Sciences of Tongji Eye Institute, and Department of Regenerative Medicine, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yiwu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000235:genetics*; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D016017:Odds Ratio; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A