Association between the MMP-1-1607 1G/2G Polymorphism and Osteoarthritis Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Strategy to Estimate Sample Sizes to Justify the Association between MMP1 SNP and Osteoarthritis

Background: the impact of knee osteoarthritis (OA) poses a formidable challenge to older adults. Studies have reported that genetic factors, such as MMP1, are one of important risk factors for knee OA. Although the relationship between the genetic polymorphism of MMP1 rs1799750 and the risk of knee OA has been explored, conclusions have been nonunanimous and pending due to research sample sizes, one of determinants in studying genetic polymorphisms associated with disease. Objective: to establish a model to assess whether the genetic polymorphism of MMP1 rs1799750 is associated with knee OA based on an estimation of sample sizes. Methods: samples were collected from a case−control and meta-analysis study. In the case−control study, patients who underwent knee X-ray examinations based on the Kellgren−Lawrence Grading System (KL) as diagnostic criteria were recruited at the Health Examination Center of the Tri-Service General Hospital from 2015 to 2019. Gene sequencing was conducted using iPLEX Gold. Those with unsuccessful gene sequencing were excluded. Finally, there were 569 patients in the knee OA group (KL ≥ 2) and 534 participants in the control group (KL < 2). In the meta-analysis, we used the databases PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane to search for studies on the relationship between MMP1 rs1799750 and knee OA. Next, we adopted the trial sequential analysis (TSA) method to assess whether sample sizes were sufficient or not to determine the risk of the genetic polymorphism of MMP1 rs1799750 on knee OA in Caucasians and Asians. Results: in Caucasians, the MMP1 rs1799750 was not significantly associated with knee OA with an odds ratios (OR) of 1.10 (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.45−2.68). Some extra 8559 samples were needed to conclude this relationship in Caucasians by the TSA model. In Asians, neither our case−control study results (n = 1103) nor a combination of samples from the case−control and meta-analysis results showed an association between MMP1 rs1799750 and knee OA. The OR (95% CI) was 1.10 (0.81−1.49) in a combination of Asian samples. Some extra 5517 samples were needed to justify this relationship in Asians by the TSA model. Conclusions: this research shows that an extra 8559 and 5517 samples are needed in Caucasians and Asians, respectively, in order to justify the association between MMP1 rs1799750 and knee OA.

Association between genetic polymorphisms and osteoarthritis development. Overview of systematic reviews

OBJECTIVE

To identify, critically evaluate and synthesize the evidence obtained from systematic reviews on the association between genetic polymorphisms and osteoarthritis (OA) development.

METHODS

Considering gene polymorphisms associated with OA susceptibility (risk or protection), a comprehensive search was conducted in the following databases, without date or language restrictions: MEDLINE, via Pubmed; Embase, via Elsevier; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, via Wiley; Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde. Gray literature was also searched through the OpenGrey database. The AMSTAR-2 (Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews) was used to assess the methodological quality of the included systematic reviews.

RESULTS

We included 14 systematic reviews of case-control studies comparing individuals with a radiographic diagnosis of all OA types and healthy controls, all submitted to the genetic examination of different polymorphisms in candidate genes. Meta-analyses showed a protective effect against knee and hand OA associated with GDF-5 gene (odds ratio [OR] 0.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.85-0.95), and knee OA with ESRα gene (OR 0.63, 95% CI 1.26-1.97). SMAD3 gene was associated with knee and hip OA risk (OR 1.21. 95% CI 1.07-1.38) and MMP-1 gene was associated with temporomandibular OA (OR 1.58. 95% CI 1.26-1.97).

CONCLUSION

Based on low-quality to critically-low-quality systematic reviews, some gene polymorphisms seem to be associated with risk or protection for OA. Further high-quality studies are needed to validate these hypotheses, contribute to disease understanding, and possibly help the decision-making related to early diagnosis and treatment options for OA. PROSPERO register CRD42021234231.

Involvement of an FTO gene polymorphism in the temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis

Objectives

The FTO gene has been reported as an obesity-associated gene and is also considered a risk gene for osteoarthritis (OA). However, its exact function is unclear, and there is conflicting evidence on the involvement of FTO polymorphisms in OA via obesity. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of FTO polymorphism rs8044769 alleles on OA in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which is minimally affected by body weight.

Materials and methods

A total of 324 TMJs (113 with OA and 211 without OA, serving as controls) from 162 Japanese patients with temporomandibular disorders and undergoing MRI examination were analyzed. Genotyping was conducted, and multivariate analysis was performed after adjusting for the effects of age, sex, body mass index, and TMJ disc abnormalities.

Results

Mean age, BMI, and sex did not differ between the TMJs with OA and the TMJs without OA, but a significant difference was found for positional and dynamic disc abnormalities (P < 0.05). The allele frequency of FTO polymorphisms also differed significantly between the TMJs with OA and the TMJs without OA (P = 0.011). Moreover, logistic regression analysis showed no significant association between BMI (P = 0.581) and the occurrence of TMJOA but also indicated that the CC allele of rs8044769 is a risk factor for TMJOA (P = 0.040).

Conclusions

Our results show that rs8044769 in the FTO gene might be involved in TMJOA.

Clinical relevance

The present study provides a basis for a deeper understanding of the mechanism underlying degenerative skeletal diseases and the more effective selection and development of treatment strategies based on the patients’ genetic characteristics.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00784-021-04278-9.

Association between matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) protein level and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis

Recent publications have investigated the potential role of the protein level of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) in the susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). However, no unanimous conclusion was obtained. Therefore, we carried out a meta-analysis to explore the association between MMP-1 expression and these two clinical disorders. After database searching and screening, we enrolled a total of eighteen articles for the pooled analysis. We observed a significant association between RA cases and controls in the whole population [SMD (standard mean difference)=1.01, P=0.017]. There were similar positive results in the subgroup analysis of “population-based control” (SMD=1.50, P=0.032) and “synovial fluid” (SMD=1.32, P=0.049). In addition, we observed an increased risk in OA cases, compared with controls, in the overall analysis (SMD=0.47, P=0.004) and subsequent subgroup analysis of “knee OA” (SMD=0.86, P<0.001), “Asian/China” (SMD=0.76, P=0.003), “cartilage-Asian/China” (SMD=1.21, P<0.001), and “synovial fluid-Asian/China” (SMD=0.73, P=0.004). In summary, a high protein level of MMP-1 in synovial fluid may be associated with the susceptibility to RA, and the high MMP-1 level in the cartilage tissue or synovial fluid may be related to the pathogenesis of knee OA in the Chinese population. This should be confirmed by larger sample sizes.