Correlation between MTHFR polymorphisms and glaucoma: A meta‐analysis

BACKGROUND: Whether methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms are implicated in glaucoma remains controversial. Therefore, we performed this study to better assess the relationship between MTHFR polymorphisms and the likelihood of glaucoma. METHODS: A systematic research of PubMed, Medline, and Embase was performed to retrieve relevant articles. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 18 studies with 7,168 participants were analyzed. In overall analyses, a significant association with the likelihood of glaucoma was detected for the rs1801133 polymorphism in dominant (p = 0.04, OR = 0.90, 95%CI 0.81–1.00) and allele (p = 0.02, OR = 0.91, 95%CI 0.84–0.98) comparisons. Further, subgroup analyses by ethnicity revealed that both rs1801131 and rs1801133 polymorphisms were significantly associated with the likelihood of glaucoma in West Asians. However, no positive results were detected for two investigated polymorphisms in East Asians and Caucasians. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated that rs1801131 and rs1801133 polymorphisms may serve as genetic biomarkers of glaucoma in West Asians.