Background: Mounting evidence has suggested tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) can promote the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR), and TNF-α gene variants may influence DR risk. However, the results are quite different.
Objectives: To comprehensively address this issue, we performed the meta-analysis to evaluate the association of TNF-α-308 G/A and -238 G/A polymorphism with DR.
Method: Data were retrieved in a systematic manner and analyzed using STATA Statistical Software. Crude odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of associations. Allelic and genotypic comparisons between cases and controls were evaluated.
Results: For the TNF-α-308 G/A polymorphism, overall analysis suggested a marginal association with DR [the OR(95%CI) of (GA versus GG), (GA + AA) versus GG, and (A versus G) are 1.21(1.04, 1.41), 1.20(1.03, 1.39), and 1.14(1.01, 1.30), respectively]. And the subgroup analysis indicated an enhanced association among the European population. For the TNF-α-238 G/A polymorphism, there was mild correlation in the entire group [the OR(95%CI) of (GA versus GG) is 1.55(1.14,2.11) ], which was strengthened among the Asian population.
Conclusion: The meta-analysis suggested that -308 A and -238 A allele in TNF-α gene potentially increased DR risk and showed a discrepancy in different ethnicities.
Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Blocking Agents as Treatment for Ulcerative Colitis Intolerant or Refractory to Conventional Medical Therapy: A Meta-Analysis
