Association between the RAGE gene -374T/A, -429T/C polymorphisms and diabetic nephropathy: a meta-analysis.

AIM: The investigations into the association between the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) gene -374T/A, -429T/C polymorphisms and diabetic nephropathy (DN) in several case-control studies have rendered conflicting results. To shed light on these inconclusive findings, a meta-analysis of all the eligible studies relating these two polymorphisms to the risk of DN was conducted. METHODS: The databases were searched for relevant articles up to July 2014. A pooled estimate of the genetic association, the heterogeneity between studies, and the publication bias were investigated. RESULTS: Eight studies with 1725 cases and 1857 controls were enrolled in -374T/A polymorphism analysis. The main analysis indicated no association for the allele contrast, the recessive model and the dominant model. Subgroup analyses in Caucasians and in type 2 diabetes also showed no association between -374T/A polymorphism and DN. Five studies with 1019 cases and 792 controls were enrolled in -429T/C polymorphism analysis. The main analysis revealed heterogeneity and no association for the allele contrast and the dominant model. However, the recessive model for -429C allele diminished the heterogeneity and showed a marginal association overall [fixed-effects OR = 2.83 (1.33-6.00) and random effects OR = 2.50 (1.00-6.24), respectively]. CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis indicated that the RAGE gene -429CC genotype might be a risk factor for DN in patients with type 2 diabetes.