Association between FCGR3B copy number variations and susceptibility to autoimmune diseases: a meta-analysis

Abstract

This study determined whether FCGR3B copy number variations (CNVs) were associated with susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the association between FCGR3B CNVs and susceptibility to autoimmune diseases by comparing low FCGR3B CN (< 2 to a parts per thousand yen2) and high FCGR3B CN (> 2 to a parts per thousand currency sign2). In all, 28 comparative studies from 15 reports involving 12,160 patients and 11,103 controls were included in this meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed a significant association between low FCGR3B CN and autoimmune diseases (OR = 1.496, 95 % CI = 1.301-1.716, p = 1.0 x 10(-9)). Subgroup analysis according to ethnicity indicated an association between low FCGR3B CN and autoimmune diseases in Caucasians (OR = 1.482, 95 % CI = 1.219-1.801, p = 7.7 x 10(-6)) and Asians (OR = 1.498, 95 % CI = 1.306-1.717, p = 1.0 x 10(-9)). Meta-analysis according to the type of autoimmune disease indicated a significant association of low FCGR3B CN with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE; OR = 1.797, 95 % CI = 1.562-2.068, p < 1.0 x 10(-9)), primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS; OR = 2.263, 95 % CI = 1.316-3.892, p = 0.003), and Wegener's granulomatosis (WG; OR = 1.973, 95 % CI = 1.178-3.302, p = 0.010), but not with rheumatoid arthritis (RA; OR = 1.333, 95 % CI = 0.947-1.877, p = 0.099). However, the meta-analysis showed no association between high FCGR3B CN and SLE, RA, pSS, and WG. Thus, the results of this meta-analysis indicated that low FCGR3B CN increased susceptibility to autoimmune diseases, especially SLE, pSS, and WG.