Many studies have proposed that the pathogenesis of obesity has a genetic basis, with an important risk factor being the presence of polymorphisms in the region of the TMEM18 gene, which plays a significant role in feeding behaviour; however, subsequent studies among different ethnic populations and age groups have shown inconsistent results. Therefore, this present meta-analysis examines the relationship between TMEM18 polymorphisms with the risk of obesity with regard to age group and ethnic population. A literature database search was conducted for available relevant studies investigating the association between obesity risk and the presence of rs6548238, rs4854344, rs11127485, rs2867125 and rs7561317 polymorphisms in TMEM18. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated by either a fixed-effects model or random effect model based on a heterogeneity test. The meta-analysis of rs6548238 and its surrogates examined the relationships between 53 395 obesity cases and 123 972 healthy controls from 27 studies and published data from the POPULOUS collection (Poland). A significant association is observed between rs6548238 (and surrogate) and obesity risk, with OR = 1.25 (95% CI: 1.08–1.45). Regarding population type, a significant association was revealed among groups of Europeans with OR = 1.32 (1.10–1.59) and Mexicans with OR = 1.39 (1.13–1.73). However, a lack of statistical significance was noticed in groups in Asia with OR = 1.11 (95% CI: 0.86–1.42). Regarding age, a significant association was observed among children with OR = 1.28 (95% CI: 1.18–1.39) but not in adults OR = 1.21 (95% CI: 0.92–1.58). The polymorphisms near TMEM18 appear to play a role in the development of obesity. Our findings indicate that differences exist between ethnic populations and age groups, supporting those of a previous study showing the various effects of genetic factors on age and ethnic groups.

中文翻译：

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TMEM18附近的多态性与肥胖风险之间的关联：荟萃分析

许多研究提出，肥胖的发病机制具有遗传基础，其中一个重要的危险因素是 TMEM18 基因区域存在多态性，这在摄食行为中起重要作用；然而，随后对不同种族人群和年龄组的研究显示出不一致的结果。因此，本荟萃分析检查了 TMEM18 多态性与年龄组和种族人群肥胖风险之间的关系。对可用的相关研究进行了文献数据库搜索，调查肥胖风险与 TMEM18 中存在 rs6548238、rs4854344、rs11127485、rs2867125 和 rs7561317 多态性之间的关联。合并优势比 (OR) 和 95% 置信区间 (95% CI) 通过基于异质性检验的固定效应模型或随机效应模型计算。rs6548238 及其替代物的荟萃分析检查了来自 27 项研究的 53 395 名肥胖病例与 123 972 名健康对照之间的关系，并公布了来自 POPULOUS 收集（波兰）的数据。rs6548238（和替代品）与肥胖风险之间存在显着关联，OR = 1.25（95% CI：1.08-1.45）。关于人口类型，OR = 1.32 (1.10-1.59) 的欧洲人和 OR = 1.39 (1.13-1.73) 的墨西哥人之间存在显着关联。然而，在 OR = 1.11 (95% CI: 0.86–1.42) 的亚洲组中发现缺乏统计学意义。关于年龄，在 OR = 1 的儿童中观察到显着相关性。28 (95% CI: 1.18–1.39) 但在成人中没有 OR = 1.21 (95% CI: 0.92–1.58)。TMEM18 附近的多态性似乎在肥胖的发展中起作用。我们的研究结果表明，种族人群和年龄组之间存在差异，这支持了先前研究的结果，该研究显示了遗传因素对年龄和种族的各种影响。