The tumour necrosis factor‐α 308G>A genetic polymorphism may contribute to the pathogenesis of acne: a meta‐analysis

Summary Background Tumour necrosis factor ( TNF )‐α is considered to play a central role in the pathogenesis of acne. Aim To estimate the association between the TNF ‐α 308G>A polymorphism and the pathogenesis of acne. Methods A literature search of the PubMed and CNKI databases from inception to December 2013 was conducted. Meta‐analyses were performed, and the OR and 95% CI calculated. The strength of association was assessed under five genetic models: allele (A vs. G), dominant ( AA + AG vs. GG ), recessive ( AA vs. GG + AG ), homozygous ( AA vs. GG ), and heterozygous ( AA vs. AG ). Results Seven case–control studies were included, with a total of 987 patients with acne and 1078 healthy controls. The meta‐analysis result showed a significant association between TNF ‐α 308G>A and the pathogenesis of acne under the recessive ( OR  = 3.13, 95% CI 1.67–5.86, P  < 0.001), homozygous ( OR  = 3.03, 95% CI 1.63–5.63, P  < 0.001) and heterozygous ( OR  = 3.16, 95% CI 1.61–6.20, P  < 0.001) models. The subgroup analysis showed a significant association with male sex (recessive: OR  = 3.77, 95% CI 1.26–11.25, P  = 0.02, homozygous: OR  = 3.25, 95% CI 1.03–10.22, P  = 0.04) and severe acne (recessive: OR  = 4.62, 95% CI 1.73–12.34, P  < 0.01; homozygous: OR  = 3.41, 95% CI 1.18–9.89, P  = 0.02). Conclusion Our findings indicate that genotype AA of TNF ‐α 308G>A may contribute to the pathogenesis of acne. Thus, detection of the TNF ‐α 308G>A polymorphism may be a promising biomarker for the early detection of acne.