The GLCCI1 rs37973 variant and the efficacy of inhaled corticosteroids in the treatment of asthma: A meta‐analysis

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the relationship between the glucocorticoid‐induced transcript 1 (GLCCI1) gene variant and the degree of improvement in lung function with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). METHODS: We searched the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI and Wanfang databases to obtain studies on the GLCCI1 rs37973 variant and the efficacy of ICS in asthma. RESULTS: The overall meta‐analysis showed that patients with the GG phenotype (mutant homozygotes) exhibited significantly smaller forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) change than patients with the AG phenotype (mutant heterozygous) (MD = −0.08, 95% CI [−0.12, −0.03], P = 0.001). Compared with the AA phenotype (wild homozygotes), the GG phenotype (MD = −4.23, 95% CI [−6.09, −2.38], P < 0.00001) and AG phenotype (MD = −1.92, 95% CI [−2.35, −1.49], P < 0.00001) had significantly smaller FEV1%pred changes. The FEV1 change subgroup analysis showed that the GG phenotype group was smaller than the AA phenotype group at 8 (MD = −0.53, 95% CI [−0.91, −0.14], P = 0.007), 12 (MD = −0.16, 95% CI [−0.30, −0.02], P = 0.02) and 24 (MD = −0.09, 95% CI [−0.17, −0.01], P = 0.02) weeks of treatment; the GG phenotype group was smaller than the AG phenotype group at 12 weeks (MD = −0.08, 95% CI [−0.15, −0.01], P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: This meta‐analysis suggests that the GLCCI1 rs37973 variant affects the efficacy of ICS and that the presence of the G allele attenuates the improvement in lung function with ICS.