The M235T polymorphism in the angiotensinogen gene is not a major risk factor for diabetic nephropathy; a meta-analysis

Introduction: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease in diabetes patients. The angiotensin AGT M235T gene polymorphism, which is linked to the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), has been extensively studied in DN patients, but the results are still conflicting. The current study’s goal is to conduct a meta-analysis to assess the relationship between AGT M235T gene polymorphism and DN susceptibility. Methods: Fourteen case-control studies related to AGT M235T polymorphism and DN were searched using PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases. Genotype data from the T2DM and T2DN groups were collected from all papers. The pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95 percent confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated employing a random-effects model to assess the relationship. Results: There were no statistically significant link between AGT M235T and DN risk in dominant (P=0.801, OR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.66-1.38), allelic (P=0.933, OR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.75-1.37) and recessive (P=0.374, OR: 1.21; 95% CI: 0.80-1.83) genetic models. Further, the stratified analysis based on ethnicity did not reveal significant link between AGT M235T and DN risk in Asian (Dom OR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.63-1.82) and the Caucasian populations (Dom OR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.49-1.21). In all three models, there was a high degree of heterogeneity between studies. Publication bias was not seen. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the AGT gene M235T polymorphism does not contribute to DN risk. However, validation of this association will require multi-center and large population-based studies.