Association of the CD14 gene rs2569190 polymorphism with the risk of allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a type I hypersensitivity disease of the nasal mucosa that is mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE). The relationship between the rs2569190 polymorphism of the CD14 gene and the risk of AR remains unclear. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate this relationship. We performed a systematic search and found 8 relevant publications that were included in this meta-analysis, consisting of 1,022 cases and 1,045 controls. Statistical analyses were conducted via the "meta" package in R studio. The odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. No association was found between CD14 rs2569190 and AR risk in the total study population. However, subgroup analysis revealed that the rs2569190 T allele was most likely associated with an increased risk of AR in the Egyptian subgroup [allelic model (T vs. C): OR = 2.56, 95% CI = 1.49-4.43, I² = 60.8%; homozygous model (TT vs. CC): OR = 12.50, 95% CI = 1.50-103.95, I² = 77.1%; recessive model (TT vs. CT + CC): OR = 4.55, 95% CI = 2.46-8.41, I² = 0]. On the other hand, rs2569190 was not significantly associated with AR risk in other populations. In summary, our meta-analysis revealed that rs2569190 has potential as a candidate marker of AR for further investigation in the Egyptian population. However, owing to the limitations of this study, our findings are insufficient to support immediate clinical applications. Further high-quality studies with larger sample sizes are needed.