A meta-analysis on associations between vitamin D receptor genetic variants and tuberculosis

Abstract

ObjectivesWe aimed to analyze potential associations between vitamin D receptor (VDR) genetic variants and tuberculosis (TB) through a meta-analysis. MethodsSystematic literature research of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and CNKI was performed to identify eligible articles. Statistical analyses were conducted by using Review Manager. ResultsTotally 54 studies were enrolled for analyses. Pooled overall analyses suggested that VDR rs1544410 (dominant model: p = 0.02; allele model: p = 0.04), rs2228570 (recessive model: p = 0.01; allele model: p = 0.03) and rs731236 (recessive model: p = 0.02; allele model: p = 0.02) variants were significantly associated with TB. Further subgroup analyses by ethnicity revealed that rs1544410 variant was significantly associated with TB in South Asians (dominant and allele models) and Caucasians (dominant, recessive and allele models), rs2228570 variant was significantly associated with TB in East Asians (recessive model), and rs731236 variant was significantly associated with TB in South Asians (dominant, recessive and allele models). ConclusionsOur meta-analysis suggested that VDR rs1544410, rs2228570 and rs731236 variants might serve as genetic biomarkers of TB in certain populations.