Association of the Genetic Polymorphisms rs6259 and rs727428 of the SHBG Gene with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Risk: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Studies investigating the relationship between polymorphisms of the sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) gene and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have reported differing results. Therefore, the present meta-analysis was performed to clarify the effects of the SHBG rs6259 and rs727428 polymorphisms on PCOS risk. Materials and Methods: Published English language studies were selected through an extensive search of the Web of Science, PubMed, and EMBASE databases. Chinese studies were identified using Wan Fang, VIP, and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. The pooled odds ratio and 95% confidence interval were calculated using the random-effects model. Subgroup analyses and heterogeneity analyses were also performed. Results: A total of 1660 cases and 1312 controls were included in this meta-analysis. We found that the SHBG rs6259 polymorphism was not significantly associated with an increased risk of PCOS in any of the genetic models with significant heterogeneity; the results were consistent for all subgroups. A nonsignificant association between the rs727428 polymorphism and an increased risk of PCOS was also detected in all genetic models. Conclusions: The findings of this meta-analysis suggest that neither the SHBG rs6259 nor rs727428 polymorphism are associated with susceptibility to PCOS. However, because of the considerable heterogeneity and the small sample size, these pooled results should be interpreted with caution.