Saitohin Q7R polymorphism is associated with late‐onset Alzheimer's disease susceptibility among caucasian populations: a meta‐analysis

Saitohin (STH) Q7R polymorphism has been reported to influence the individual's susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, conclusions remain controversial. Therefore, we performed this meta‐analysis to explore the association between STH Q7R polymorphism and AD risk. Systematic literature searches were performed in the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science for studies published before 31 August 2016. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the strength of the association using a fixed‐ or random‐effects model. Subgroup analyses, Galbraith plot and sensitivity analyses were also performed. All statistical analyses were performed with STATA Version 12.0. A total of 19 case–control studies from 17 publications with 4387 cases and 3972 controls were included in our meta‐analysis. The results showed that the Q7R polymorphism was significantly associated with an increased risk of AD in a recessive model (RR versus QQ+QR, OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.01–1.60, P = 0.040). After excluding the four studies not carried out in caucasians, the overall association was unchanged in all comparison models. Further subgroup analyses stratified by the time of AD onset, and the quality of included studies provided statistical evidence of significant increased risk of AD in RR versus QQ+QR model only in late‐onset subjects (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.07–2.26, P = 0.021) and in studies with high quality (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.01–1.86, P = 0.043). This meta‐analysis suggests that the RR genotype in saitohin Q7R polymorphism may be a human‐specific risk factor for AD, especially among late‐onset AD subjects and caucasian populations.