MTHFR gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to myocardial infarction: Evidence from meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis

BACKGROUND: This meta-analysis aimed to provide a comprehensive assessment of the association between Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene polymorphisms, specifically C677T and A1298C, and the susceptibility to myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus until April 2023 to identify studies investigating the relationship between MTHFR gene polymorphisms (C677T and A1298C) and the risk of MI. RESULTS: The analysis included 66 studies involving 16,860 cases and 20,403 controls for the C677T polymorphism and 18 studies comprising 3162 cases and 3632 controls for the A1298C polymorphism. Significant associations were observed between the C677T polymorphism and MI risk in various genetic models: dominant (OR = 1.16, 95 % CI = 1.06–1.28, P = 0.008), recessive (OR = 1.20, 95 % CI = 1.12–1.28, P < 0.001), allelic (OR = 1.13, 95 % CI = 1.06–1.21, P < 0.001), TT vs. CC (OR = 1.19, 95 % CI = 1.05–1.36, P < 0.001), and CT vs. CC (OR = 1.11, 95 % CI = 1.02–1.21, P = 0.01). Furthermore, an overall analysis indicated a marginally significant association between the A1298C polymorphism and MI risk in the recessive model (OR = 1.27, 95 % CI = 1.06–1.51, P = 0.008), allelic model (OR = 1.18, 95 % CI = 1.01–1.39, P = 0.03), and CC vs. AA model (OR = 1.22, 95 % CI = 1.01–1.47, P = 0.04). Meta-regression analysis revealed that none of the potential factors contributed to the observed heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis revealed an association between MTHFR gene C677T and A1298C polymorphisms and the risk of MI.