We searched for articles in MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE, HuGE Navigator, CNKI, and Wanfang databases and calculated odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to determine the strength of associations in fixed- or random-effects models.
We included 21 articles in the meta-analysis: 17 reports of ADIPOQ rs2241766 with 3628 cases and 3000 controls and 8 of rs266729 with 2021 cases and 2226 controls. We found an increased risk of MS with the ADIPOQ rs2241766 polymorphism in some genetic models (allele model: OR=1.12, 95% CI: 1.03–1.21; dominant model: OR=1.15, 95% CI: 1.04–1.28; homozygote model: OR=1.22, 95% CI: 1.00–1.49) but no association with the ADIPOQ rs266729 polymorphism (allele model: OR=0.98, 95% CI: 0.82–1.17; dominant model: OR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.79–1.02; recessive model: OR=1.09, 95% CI: 0.85–1.39; homozygote model: OR=1.03, 95% CI: 0.80–1.33).
The results of this meta-analysis suggest an association between the ADIPOQ rs2241766 polymorphism and MS in the Chinese population. G allele of ADIPOQ rs2241766 increases the risk of MS. Better designed studies with different ethnic populations and larger sample sizes are needed for assessing the relationship between ADIPOQ rs2241766 and rs266729 polymorphisms and MS in the future.