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Meta-Analysis
. 2020 May 27;21(1):114.
doi: 10.1186/s12881-020-01029-7.

The association between genetic variants in lactotransferrin and dental caries: a meta- and gene-based analysis

Xueyan Li  1 , Yi Su  1 , Di Liu  2 , Jingyun Yang  3   4   5   6
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

The association between genetic variants in lactotransferrin and dental caries: a meta- and gene-based analysis

Xueyan Li et al. BMC Med Genet. .

Abstract

Background: The pathogenesis of dental caries remains unclear, with increasing evidence suggesting that genetic susceptibility plays an essential role. Previous studies have reported the association between genetic polymorphisms in lactotransferrin (LTF) and the risk of dental caries with inconsistent results.

Methods: A systematic literature search of the PubMed, Cochrane Library, HuGE and Google Scholar databases was performed by two authors independently for papers published before December 5, 2019 on the association between genetic variants in LTF and the risk of dental caries. We adopted the subsequent inclusion criteria to assess study eligibility: 1) The studies were based on human subjects; 2) the presence of dental caries should be screened for in both the case group and the control group; and 3) genotype data on variants in LTF were available in both the case group and the control group. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by using random-effects models to assess the association of genetic variants in LTF with the risk of dental caries. We also performed a gene-based analysis to explore the joint association of multiple genetic variants in LTF with the risk of dental caries.

Results: Our systematic literature search identified six relevant papers for analysis. We found no significant association between rs1126478 and the risk of dental caries when meta-analysing the genotype distribution between subjects with dental caries and those without dental caries (additive model: OR = 1.41; 95% CI = 0.98-2.02; P = 0.065). However, further analysis indicated that rs1126478 was associated with dental risk in subjects who had moderate or severe dental caries compared to those without dental caries (P < 0.0001). The gene-based analysis indicated that multiple genetic variants in LTF were jointly associated with the risk of dental caries (P = 0.002).

Conclusions: The present meta-analysis revealed some evidence of the association between rs1126478 and dental caries and that multiple genetic variants in LTF are jointly associated with the risk of dental caries. Our findings need to be validated by larger studies that adjust for important confounding factors for the risk of dental caries.

Keywords: Dental caries; LTF; Meta-analysis; Polymorphism.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow diagram of the selection process of the studies included in the meta-analyses. Note: Please see the Methods section for additional details
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Funnel plot for meta-analysis of the association of rs1126478 with dental caries assuming an additive model. The x-axis is the odds ratio, and the y-axis is the standard error of estimated effect of rs1126478 on risk of dental caries. The vertical line in the figure represents the overall estimated odds ratio. The two diagonal lines represent the pseudo 95% confidence limits of the effect estimate
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Forest plot for meta-analysis of the association of rs1126478 with dental caries. Each study is represented by a square whose area is proportional to the weight of the study. The overall effect from meta-analysis is represented by a diamond whose width represents the 95% CI for the estimated OR. OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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