Association between Fc receptor-like 3 C169T polymorphism and risk of systemic lupus erythematosus: a meta-analysis.

To investigate the association between Fc receptor-like 3 (FCRL3) C169T polymorphism and susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We surveyed studies on the FCRL3 C169T polymorphism and SLE using comprehensive Medline search and review of the references. Meta-analysis was performed for genotypes CC (recessive effect), CC+CT (dominant effect) and C allele in fixed effects model or random effects model. Five identified studies included 1,944 SLE patients and 4,528 non-SLE controls. Three out of five identified studies included populations of Asian descent, and two included populations of European descent. The overall odds ratio (OR) of the CC genotype was 1.21(95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.40). Stratification by ethnicity indicated that the CC genotype was associated with SLE in Asian-derived population (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.03-1.47). No association was detected in European-derived population (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.90-1.52). This meta-analysis fails to show significant association of CC+CT genotypes and C allele with SLE in overall, European-derived and Asian-derived populations. In summary, this meta-analysis demonstrates that the FCRL3 169CC genotype (recessive effect) may confer susceptibility to SLE, especially in Asian-derived population.