PTGDR polymorphisms and susceptibility to asthma: a meta-analysis

The aim of this study was to explore whether prostaglandin D-2 receptor (PTGDR) polymorphisms confer susceptibility to asthma. A meta-analysis was conducted on the associations between the PTGDR -549 C/T, -441 C/T, and -197 C/T polymorphisms and asthma using: (1) allele contrast, (2) the recessive model, (3) the dominant model, and (4) the additive model. Three polymorphism haplotypes were constructed in the order -549/-441/-179. Meta-analysis was performed on the haplotype CCC (high transcriptional activity) and of TCT (low transcriptional activity). A total of 13 separate comparative studies in 9 articles involving 7,155 patients with asthma and 7,285 control subjects were included in this meta-analysis. An association between asthma and the PTGDR -549 C/T polymorphism was found by allele contrast (OR = 1.133, 95 % CI = 1.004-1.279, P = 0.043). Ethnicity-specific meta-analysis showed an association between asthma and the PTGDR -549 C allele in Europeans (OR = 1.192, 95 % CI = 1.032-1.377, P = 0.017). Furthermore, stratifying subjects by age indicated an association between the PTGDR -549 C allele and asthma in adults (OR = 1.248, 95 % CI = 1.076-1.447, P = 0.003), but no association in children (OR = 0.933, 95 % CI = 0.756-1.154, P = 0.324). Analyses using the dominant and additive models showed the similar pattern as that observed for the PTGDR -549 C allele, that is, a significant association in Europeans and adults, but not in children. No association was found between asthma and the PTGDR -441 C/T or -197 C/T polymorphisms, and meta-analysis stratified by ethnicity and age also revealed no association between asthma and these polymorphisms. Furthermore, no association was found between asthma and the CCC and TCT haplotypes of PTGDR, and meta-analysis stratified by ethnicity and age revealed no association between asthma and the CCC and TCT PTGDR haplotypes. This meta-analysis demonstrates that the PTGDR -549 C/T polymorphism confers susceptibility to asthma in Europeans and adults. However, no association was found between the PTGDR 441 C/T and -197 C/T polymorphisms or the CCC and TCT haplotypes and asthma susceptibility.