Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the gene encoding LOXL1 are risk factors for exfoliation syndrome and exfoliation glaucoma. This meta-analysis comprehensively investigated the association between LOXL1 gene polymorphisms (rs1048661, rs3825942, and rs2165241) and the risk of exfoliation syndrome/exfoliation glaucoma (XFS)/(XFG).
Methods: All eligible case-control studies, published before August 17, 2020, were searched on Medline (Ovid), PubMed, CNKI, EMBASE, and Wanfang databases.
Results: In total, 5022 cases and 8962 controls were included in this meta-analysis. Significant associations between LOXL1 gene polymorphisms and XFS/XFG risk was observed in the disease types-based subgroups. In addition, in the subgroup analysis of ethnicity, positive associations between LOXL1 gene polymorphisms (rs1048661, rs3825942, and rs2165241) and XFS/XFG risk were found in Caucasians. Furthermore, rs1048661 and rs3825942 polymorphisms were related to XFS/ XFG risk in Asians; however, no significant association was observed between the LOXL1 gene rs2165241 polymorphism and XFS/XFG risk in Asians. In addition, rs1048661 and rs3825942 correlated with XFS/XFG susceptibility in Africans.
Conclusions: Our results implicate LOXL1 gene polymorphisms as XFS/XFG risk factors, especially in Caucasians.