Gout is an inflammatory disease in which genetic factors play a role. ABCG2 is a urate transporter, and the Q141K and Q126X variants of ABCG2 have been associated with a risk of developing gout, though previous studies of these associations have been inconsistent. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to explore the relationship between these genetic variants and gout.
We examined 8 electronic literature databases. In total, 9 eligible articles on the associations between the Q141K (rs2231142) and Q126X (rs72552713) variants and gout risk, including 11 case-control studies were selected. We used odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to assess the strength of these relationships in dominant, recessive, and co-dominant models.
This study included 6652 participants (2499 gout patients and 4153 controls). The Q141K variant was found to significantly increase the risk of gout in Asians (dominant model: OR=2.64, 95% CI=2.04-3.43, P=0.02 for heterogeneity; recessive model: OR=3.19, 95% CI=2.56-3.97, P=0.28 for heterogeneity; co-dominant model: OR=1.37, 95% CI=1.18-1.59, P=0.09 for heterogeneity) and other populations (dominant model: OR=1.85, 95% CI=1.20-2.85, P<0.0001 for heterogeneity; recessive model: OR=3.78, 95% CI=2.28-6.27, P=0.19 for heterogeneity; co-dominant model: OR=1.48, 95% CI=1.26-1.74, P=0.19 for heterogeneity). The Q126X variant also significantly increased the risk of gout in Asians (dominant model: OR=3.87, 95% CI=2.07-7.24, P=0.06 for heterogeneity).
These results suggest associations between the rs2231142 and rs72552713 ABCG2 gene polymorphisms and gout risk, which led to unfavorable outcomes. However, studies with larger sample sizes and homogeneous populations should be performed to confirm these results.