Objectives: This meta-analysis was performed to investigate the associations between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TGF- β and Smad3 genes and arthritis.
Methods: A meta-analysis was performed in STATA 14.0, with publication bias and meta-regression analysis. All types of arthritis were included, and subgroup analyses were performed to interpret variations among different types of arthritis.
Results: Twenty-two qualified studieswere selected to analyze the pooled accuracy, and 4 SNP sites were involved. The analysis of the TGFB1 SNP rs1800470 showed an association with arthritis in allelic (P = 0.011), homozygous (P = 0.034) and recessive (P = 0.021) genetic models. The analysis of the TGFB1 SNP rs1800471 demonstrated a close association with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in homozygous (P = 0.000, 95%) and recessive (P = 0.008) models. The analysis of the SMAD3 SNP rs12901499 revealed a close association with osteoarthritis (OA) in the allelic (P = 0.001) model.
Conclusion: This research showed that genetic variants of the TGF-β pathway impact arthritis. The polymorphisms rs1800470, rs1800471 and rs12901499 were correlated with a higher prevalence of arthritis.
Keywords: Smad3; TGF-β; arthritis; meta-analysis; polymorphisms.