A meta-analysis examining the association between the MUC5B rs35705950 T/G polymorphism and susceptibility to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Objective: To explore whether the mucin (MUC) 5B rs35705950 T/G polymorphism confers susceptibility to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted to determine associations between the MUC5B rs35705950 T/G polymorphism and either IPF or connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD). We used the allele contrast, recessive, dominant, and additive models. A total of 12 IPF studies comprising 2859 patients and 6901 controls and four CTD-ILD studies involving 903 patients and 3306 controls were included in the meta-analysis.Results: There was a significant association between the Tallele of the MUC5B rs35705950 polymorphism and IPF in all subjects (OR 3.768, 95 % CI 2.935–4.836, p < 1.0 × 10⁻⁸). Analysis after stratification by ethnicity indicated that the Tallele was significantly associated with IPF in Europeans and Asians (OR 3.728, 95 % CI 2.858–4.863, p < 1.0 × 10⁻⁸; OR 4.334, 95 % CI 2.186–8.594, p = 2.6 × 10⁻⁶). However, there was no association between the Tallele and CTD-ILD in all subjects (OR 1.130, 95 % CI 0.937–1.363, p = 0.200), and in Europeans and Asians. Subgroup analysis by CTD type revealed no association between the Tallele and systemic sclerosis-associated ILD (SSc-ILD) and other CTD-ILDs.Conclusions: The MUC5B rs35705950 T/G polymorphism confers susceptibility to IPF in Europeans and Asians, but is not associated with susceptibility to CTD-ILD.