Abstract

Objective A comprehensive search on electronic databases was conducted to identify all eligible studies of TNF-α polymorphisms and knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods Eight studies on TNF-α -308 G > A and three on TNF-α -238G > A polymorphism were identified. Results Overall, the pooled ORs indicated that neither TNF-α -238G > A nor -238G > A polymorphism was associated with knee OA risk. Similarly, in the stratified analysis by ethnicity, no significant association was found. Conclusion This meta-analysis results inconsistent with the previous meta-analyses showed that the TNF-α -308 G > A and -238G > A polymorphisms may not be associated with the susceptibility to knee OA.