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Gene & Protein in Disease                                        TNFA polymorphism and risk of endometriosis




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            Figure 3. Forest plot. (A) Forest plot displaying the non-significant association between the -238 G>A variant and endometriosis under the allele model.
            (B) Funnel plot demonstrates a symmetrical graph, indicating the absence of publication bias.
            Abbreviations: CI: Confidence interval; OR: Odds ratio; SE: Standard error.


            had an OR of 0.91 (95% CI: 0.62 – 1.33), and the over-  test revealed that one study, conducted by Hsieh et al.,
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            dominant model showed an OR of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.45 –   displayed a significant P-value (Table 3), necessitating its
            1.47), among others (Table 5). No significant associations   exclusion from the final analysis. After aggregating data
            were observed in  any of  the genetic models examined.   from the remaining studies, which involved a total of 1,895
            Furthermore, our analysis remained robust, as Egger’s   individuals (comprising 937  cases and 958 controls), it
            test  did not reveal any  significant bias, confirming  the   was found that the overall genotypic frequency was higher
            reliability of our results (Table 5 and Figure 3B). Subgroup   among cases, at 3.41%, compared to a lower frequency of
            analysis based on ethnicity revealed no significant   0.62% observed among healthy controls. No significant
            associations, indicating that ethnicity did not have a   associations were found across any genetic models with
            significant influence on the outcome variable (Table 6).   regard to risk. For instance, the allele model showed an OR
            In addition, sensitivity analysis demonstrated the impact   of 1.19 (CI: 0.74 – 1.93), the recessive model had an OR of
            of individual studies on the overall results of the meta-  2.48, (CI: 0.91 – 6.83), the dominant model yielded an OR
            analysis (Figure 4).                               of 1.15, (CI: 0.72 – 1.84), the overdominant model showed
                                                               an OR of 1.1 (CI: 0.82 – 1.49), and the codominant models
            3.1.2. -308 G>A                                    (homologous recombination [HR] versus homozygous
            For the second upstream variant, -308 G>A, a total of 10   wild [HW]: OR 2.5, CI: 0.91 – 6.89; HR versus heterozygote
            studies were identified to explore the association (Table 3).   [HT]: OR 2.5, CI: 0.87 – 7.19; HT versus HW: OR 1.15,
            However, upon further review, it was determined that   CI: 0.85 – 1.55). Moreover, Egger’s test did not reveal
            two studies lacked genotypic data and were therefore   significant bias in our analysis, validating the robustness of
            excluded from the meta-analysis. 12,14  In addition, an HWE   our results (Table 5).


            Volume 4 Issue 3 (2025)                         8                               doi: 10.36922/gpd.5204
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