Association between ADAM33 S2 and V4 polymorphisms and susceptibility to allergic rhinitis: A meta-analysis

BackgroundIt has been reported that ADAM33 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain 33) polymorphisms might be associated with susceptibility to allergic rhinitis (AR).ObjectiveOwing to mixed and inconclusive results, we conducted a meta-analysis to systematically summarise and clarify the association between ADAM33 S2, V4, T1, T2 and T + 1 polymorphisms and AR risk.Methods/resultsA systematic search of studies on the association of ADAM33 polymorphisms with susceptibility to AR was conducted in Pubmed and Embase. A total of five case–control studies with 1251 patients and 1634 controls were included. Meta-analysis indicated an association between the ADAM33 S2 and AR in allele comparison (G/C:OR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.08–1.82, P = 0.012), heterozygote comparison (CG/CC:OR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.04–1.48, P = 0.015), and dominant comparison (CG+GG/CC:OR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.05–1.85, P = 0.023). The meta-analysis also revealed an association between the ADAM33 V4 and AR in allele comparison (G/C:OR = 1.67, 95% CI 1.01–2.75, P = 0.044). However, no association was found between AR and the ADAM33 T1, T2 and T + 1 polymorphisms in any gene model comparison.ConclusionsThis meta-analysis demonstrates that the ADAM33 S2 and V4 polymorphisms confer susceptibility to AR. However, these results should be interpreted with caution due to limited sample and heterogeneity. Large-scale and well-designed studies are needed to validate our findings.