Meta-Analysis
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World J Meta-Anal. Nov 26, 2013; 1(3): 138-146
Published online Nov 26, 2013. doi: 10.13105/wjma.v1.i3.138
Relationship between apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism and total cholesterol level in patients with kidney diseases
Tian-Biao Zhou, Zong-Pei Jiang, Sheng-Sheng Yin, Yuan-Han Qin
Tian-Biao Zhou, Zong-Pei Jiang, Sheng-Sheng Yin, Department of Nephrology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510655, Guangdong Province, China
Tian-Biao Zhou, Sheng-Sheng Yin, Yuan-Han Qin, Department of Pediatric Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Author contributions: Zhou TB and Jiang ZP contributed equally to this work; Zhou TB, Jiang ZP, Yin SS and Qin YH performed the literature search, study selection and data extraction; Zhou TB and Jiang ZP analyzed the results; Zhou TB, Jiang ZP and Yin SS did the statistical analysis; Zhou TB wrote the manuscript; all authors have approved the final manuscript.
Supported by Beijing NOVA Programme, No. Z131107000413067; and the Research Fund of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Nos. 2013-QN-07 and 2013-QN-06
Correspondence to: Tian-Biao Zhou, Associate Research Scientist, Department of Nephrology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510655, Guangdong Province, China. a126tianbiao@126.com
Telephone: +86-771-2326191 Fax: +86-771-2326191
Received: April 14, 2013
Revised: June 13, 2013
Accepted: August 4, 2013
Published online: November 26, 2013
Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the association between apolipoprotein E (apoE) gene polymorphism and total cholesterol (TC) level in patients with kidney diseases.

METHODS: A predefined literature search was performed to collect data from the electronic databases of PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library and eligible relevant studies reporting the association of apoE gene polymorphism with TC level in patients with kidney diseases were recruited for meta-analysis.

RESULTS: Twenty-one studies were identified for the analysis of association between apoE gene polymorphism and TC level in patients with kidney disease. Subjects with E3E4 had a higher TC than those with E3E3 [weighted mean differences (WMD) = 2.14, P = 0.01] and subjects with E2E3 had a lower TC than those with E3E3 (WMD = -1.93, P = 0.01). Subjects with ε2 had a lower TC than those with ε3 (ε2 vs ε3: WMD = -1.23, P = 0.002; ε2 vs ε4: WMD = -2.77, P ﹤0.0001) and subjects with 3 had a lower TC than those with 4 (WMD = -0.79, P = 0.03).

CONCLUSION: Subjects with apoE E3E4 and ε4 had a higher TC level and subjects with apoE E2E3 and ε2 had a higher TC level in patients with kidney disease. However, more well-designed studies should be performed in the future to confirm these findings.

Keywords: Apolipoprotein E, Gene polymorphism, Total cholesterol, Meta-analysis

Core tip: The available evidence for an association between apolipoprotein E (apoE) and total cholesterol (TC) in kidney disease is weak and has conflicting results. This meta-analysis based on 21 included studies indicated that subjects with apoE E3E4 and 4 had a higher TC level and subjects with apoE E2E3 and ε2 had a higher TC level in patients with kidney disease.