The CYP11B2-344C/T variant is associated with ischemic stroke risk: An updated meta-analysis

Introduction: The CYP11B2 gene has been suggested to play an important role in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. However, the results have been inconsistent. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis to clarify the association of the CYP11B2 -344C/T variant with ischemic stroke. Methods: Published literature from PubMed and Embase were retrieved. Pooled odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was calculated using a fixed- or random-effects model. A total of seven studies (2765 stroke cases and 3118 controls) for the CYP11B2 -344C/T variant were included in the meta-analysis. Results: The meta-analysis indicated that the CYP11B2 -344C/T variant was significantly associated with ischemic stroke under a homogeneous co-dominant model (TT vs. CC: odds ratio=2.04, 95% confidence interval=1.21-3.45), dominant model (TT+TC vs. CC: odds ratio=1.67, 95% confidence interval=1.09-2.57) and recessive model (TT vs. TC+CC: odds ratio=1.56, 95% confidence interval=1.18-2.05) but not under a heterogeneous co-dominant model (TC vs. CC: odds ratio=1.43, 95% confidence interval=0.98-2.07). Further subgroup analysis showed that the CYP11B2 -344C/T variant was significantly associated with ischemic stroke in East Asian and South Asian populations, but not in a Caucasian population. Conclusion: The present meta-analysis supported the positive association of the CYP11B2 -344C/T variant with ischemic stroke. Further large-scale studies considering gene-gene/gene-environment interactions should be conducted to investigate the association.