Association between AGTR1 A1166C polymorphism and the susceptibility to diabetic nephropathy: Evidence from a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common complication in patients with diabetic mellitus (DM). Growing evidences have demonstrated that the polymorphisms of angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AGTR1) showed significant association with DN onset, but no consensus has been achieved yet. Therefore, we performed this meta-analysis to combine the findings of previous researches for a more comprehensive conclusion. METHODS: Eligible publications were identified through electronic databases. The intensity of the correlation between AGTR1 A1166C polymorphism and DN susceptibility was evaluated through calculating pooled odds ratios (ORs) with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Heterogeneity among included studies was examined with Q test. When P-value less than .05, significant heterogeneity presented, random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled ORs, otherwise, the fixed-effects model was used. Stratification analyses were also performed based on ethnicity and the type of DM. RESULTS: Seventeen eligible articles were finally included in the present meta-analysis. The analysis results showed that AGTR1 A1166C polymorphism was significantly related to increased risk of DN under CC versus AA (OR = 1.723, 95% CI = 1.123–2.644), CC + AC versus AA (OR = 1.179, 95% CI = 1.004–1.383), CC versus AA + AC (OR = 1.662, 95% CI = 1.112–2.486), and C versus A (OR = 1.208, 95% CI = 1.044–1.397) genetic models. Additionally, a similar result was also found in Asian and T2DM (type 2 diabetic mellitus) groups after subgroup analyses of ethnicity and DM type. CONCLUSION: AGTR1 A1166C polymorphism may increase the susceptibility to DN, especially in Asians and T2DM population.