MCP-1-2518A > G Polymorphism and Myocardial Infarction Risk: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression

Objective: Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), a key chemokine in atherosclerotic inflammation, plays an important role in the etiology of myocardial infarction (MI). Emerging evidence has shown that the common polymorphism (-2518A>G; rs1024611) in the MCP-1 gene may contribute to the risk of MI, but individually published studies showed inconclusive results. This meta-analysis aimed to derive a more precise estimation of the associations between MCP-1-2518A>G polymorphism and susceptibility to MI. Methods: A literature search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and China BioMedicine (CBM) databases was conducted on articles published before May 15th, 2013. The crude odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results: Eleven case-control studies were included with a total 2325 MI patients and 6310 healthy controls. The meta-analysis results indicated that MCP-1-2518A>G polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of MI. In further subgroup analysis based on ethnicity, there were significant associations between MCP-1-2518A>G polymorphism and an increased risk of MI among Asian populations. However, no statistically significant association was found among Caucasian populations. Univariate and multivariate meta-regression analyses showed that ethnicity may be the major source of heterogeneity. No publication bias was detected in this meta-analysis. Conclusion: In conclusion, the current meta-analysis indicates that MCP-1-2518A>G polymorphism may be a risk factor for MI, especially among Asian populations.