Four Apolipoprotein B gene polymorphisms and the risk for coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis of 47 studies

Apolipoprotein B plays a central role in lipoprotein metabolism. Many studies have evaluated the association between Apolipoprotein B gene polymorphisms (XbaI, EcoRI, SpIns/Del, MspI) and the risk for coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction. However, the results remain inconsistent, particularly among different populations. To more precisely determine the association between Apolipoprotein B gene polymorphisms and coronary artery disease/myocardial infarction risk, we performed a meta-analysis via a comprehensive search of electronic databases (up to February 1st, 2015), odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals were calculated using a fixed or random effect model. A total of 47 studies, with 9411 coronary artery disease/myocardial infarction cases and 9082 controls, were included in this meta-analysis. The combined results revealed significant associations between an increased risk of coronary artery disease/myocardial infarction and EcoRI (AA vs GG: OR 1.511, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.098, 2.078) and SpIns/Del (DD vs II: OR 1.331, 95 % CI 1.064, 1.665) alleles in the general population. In a subgroup analysis stratified by ethnicity, the T allele of the XbaI variant was associated with a decreased risk in Caucasians, whereas it was associated with an increased risk among the East Asian population. No significant correlation was detected between the A allele of the MspI variant and the coronary artery disease/myocardial infarction risk in either the general population or any ethnic subgroup. The results of our study suggest that Apolipoprotein B gene polymorphisms may affect the coronary artery disease/myocardial infarction susceptibility and these effects may display notable discrepancies among different populations.