3’UTR polymorphisms in NRAMP1 are associated with the susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis: A MOOSE-compliant meta-analysis

Many studies have investigated the association between the 3’UTR polymorphism in natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 1 (NRAMP1) and the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), Revealing inconclusive results. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the NRAMP1 3’UTR polymorphism and the risk of PTB. This meta-analysis included 29 case–control studies to better and comprehensively assess this correlation. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (95% CIs) were calculated to assess the strength of the association. These 29 case–control studies included 4672 cases and 6177 controls. The NRAMP1 3’UTR polymorphism displayed a significant positive correlation with the risk of PTB in 3 models (for del/del vs ins/ins: OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.01–1.47; for Ins/del vs ins/ins: OR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.08–1.30; for Ins/del + del/del vs ins/ins: OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.08–1.45). A stratified analysis by ethnicity revealed that the NRAMP1 3’UTR polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of PTB in the Asian population, but not in Caucasian, African, and South American populations. The present results indicate that the NRAMP1 3’UTR polymorphism may be considered a risk factor for PTB in the Asian population.