Purpose: Many epidemiological studies have evaluated associations of platelet glycoprotein receptor alpha2beta1 integrin (ITGA2) and glycoprotein IIIa (ITGB3) gene polymorphisms with diabetic retinopathy (DR), but the published data are inconclusive. The aim of the present study was to assess the associations by using meta-analysis.
Methods: A comprehensive electronic search (PubMed, EMBASE, Elsevier Science Direct, CNKI and Wanfang) was carried out until 31 August 2013. Odds ratios (ORs) and its 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of the associations.
Results: Nine studies including 1678 cases and 1329 controls were included in the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis was performed for ITGA2 gene BgI II polymorphism (7 studies including 758 cases and 570 controls) and ITGB3 gene PlA1/A2 polymorphism (4 studies including 1047 cases and 861 controls). Significant associations were found for BgI II (+ versus -: OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.06-1.90, p = 0.02; +/- + +/+ versus -/-: OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 0.99-2.15, p = 0.06; +/+ versus -/- + +/-: OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.35-2.67, p = 0.0003) and PlA1/A2 (A2 versus A1: OR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.52-1.07, p = 0.11; A1A2 + A2A2 versus A1A1: OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.64-0.99, p = 0.04; A2A2 versus A1A1 + A1A2: OR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.27-0.75, p = 0.002) polymorphisms.
Conclusion: This meta-analysis demonstrates that DR is associated with ITGA2 BgI II and ITGB3 PlA1/A2 polymorphisms.
Keywords: Diabetic retinopathy; glycoprotein IIIa; glycoprotein receptor alpha2beta1 integrin; meta-analysis; polymorphism.