The Association Between STAT4 rs7574865 Polymorphism and the Susceptibility of Autoimmune Thyroid Disease: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

<b>Objectives:</b> The signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (<i>STAT4</i>) gene encodes an important transcription factor that transmits signals induced by several cytokines associated with autoimmune diseases and has been identified as a susceptibility gene for numerous autoimmune disorders. The association between <i>STAT4</i> rs7574865 polymorphism and the susceptibility of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) has been investigated in previous case-control studies. However, the investigation results were inconsistent. Hence, a meta-analysis was performed to draw a more reliable conclusion about it. <b>Methods:</b> All relevant studies were searched in Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure, till August 20, 2018. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the strength of the association. <b>Results:</b> A total of five independent case-control studies with 1707 AITD patients and 2316 controls were included in the present meta-analysis. The overall pooled analysis indicated that <i>STAT4</i> rs7574865 polymorphism was significantly associated with AITD susceptibility [TT vs. GG: OR = 1.63, 95%CI = 1.24-2.15, <i>P</i> _Z = 0.0005; TT vs. (TG+GG): OR = 1.55, 95%CI = 1.26-1.91, <i>P</i> _Z < 0.0001]. However, the subgroup analysis showed a significant association of <i>STAT4</i> rs7574865 polymorphism with AITD susceptibility in Asian population, but not in African population. <i>STAT4</i> rs7574865 polymorphism was significantly associated both with Graves' disease (GD) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) susceptibility. <b>Conclusion:</b> This meta-analysis showed a significant association between <i>STAT4</i> rs7574865 polymorphism and AITD susceptibility. However, further studies with larger sample sizes and other ethnicities are still required to confirm the findings.