Association between Transcription Factor 7-Like 2 C/T Polymorphism and Diabetic Retinopathy Risk: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Previous studies have suggested a close association between transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) polymorphisms and diabetic retinopathy (DR) susceptibility. However, the published results were inconsistent. This meta-analysis was conducted to review and examine the relationship between TCF7L2 rs7903146 C/T polymorphism and DR risk.

Materials and methods: Online databases were searched, and the related studies were identified in this meta-analysis. Odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to examine the statistical power. Moreover, heterogeneity test, sensitivity accumulative analysis, and publication bias were conducted to measure the statistical effect.

Result: 6 studies involving 12,982 subjects were included in this meta-analysis to assess the association between rs7903146 C/T polymorphism and DR susceptibility. The synthetic results indicated that the mutation of rs7903146 C/T polymorphism maybe accompanied with an increased risk for DR (T vs. C: OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.00-1.60, p = 0.05, I2 = 83.5%; TT vs. CC: OR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.12-2.86, p = 0.02, I2 = 80.2%; TT vs. CC + CT: OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.38-1.92, p < 0.01, I2 = 32.3%). Moreover, the subgroup analysis also demonstrated an increasing risk for DR with T mutations in Caucasian descendants.

Conclusion: The current evidences of meta-analysis suggested that the TCF7L2 rs7903146 C/T polymorphism might play an important role in DR susceptibility.