The −444A/C Polymorphism in the LTC4S Gene and the Risk of Asthma: A Meta-analysis

Background and AimsThe –444A/C polymorphism in the leukotriene C4 synthase (LTC4S) gene has been implicated in susceptibility to asthma, but a large number of studies have reported inconclusive results. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the –444A/C polymorphism in the LTC4S gene and asthma risk using meta-analysis.MethodsWe searched Pubmed, Embase, CNKI and Wanfang databases. Statistical analysis was performed using the software Revman4.2 and STATA10.0.ResultsA total of 3042 cases and 1902 controls in 13 case-control studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results indicated that the variant C allele carriers (CC + AC) did not have increased/decreased risk of asthma when compared with the homozygote AA (CC + AC vs. AA: OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.00–1.28, p = 0.06). In the subgroup analysis by age, ethnicity and aspirin sensitivity, significantly elevated risks were found only in Caucasians (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.02–1.44, p = 0.03) and aspirin-tolerant populations (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.12–1.65, p = 0.002) but not in other subgroups.ConclusionsThis meta-analysis suggested that the –444A/C polymorphism in the LTC4S gene would be a risk factor for asthma in Caucasians and aspirin-tolerant populations. Future studies are needed to validate our results.