The role of VEGF -634G/C polymorphism has been involved in the investigations of susceptibility to autoimmune diseases, but the conclusion remains controversial. Here, we have performed a meta-analysis to clarify the relationship between them. All relevant articles updating to August 2013 were searched in PubMed and EMBASE. Crude odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) based on the available articles were calculated. A total of 24 independent studies associated with autoimmune disease were analyzed in our research. The results show that VEGF -634G/C polymorphism was associated with susceptibility to autoimmune disease in Asian population (C vs. G: OR=0.88, 95% CI: 0.80-0.96, P=0.543; CC vs. GG: OR=0.77, 95% CI: 0.63-0.93, P=0.787; CC+GC vs. GG: OR=0.80, 95% CI: 0.67-0.96, P=0.080 by random effects model). Nevertheless, no significant associations were found in total population or in other stratified groups. In the current meta-analysis, we reveal a significant association between VEGF -634G/C polymorphism and susceptibility to autoimmune diseases in Asian population.
Keywords: Autoimmune diseases; Meta-analysis; Polymorphism; VEGF −634G/C.
Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.