Background: The pathology of osteoarthritis (OA) is partly attributed to genetic factors; however, the role of ADAM12  polymorphism is still controversial. It is necessary to perform a meta-analysis to investigate this possible correlation.
Methods: Case–control studies on the association between OA susceptibility and ADAM12  polymorphism were comprehensively collected by searching PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled to evaluate OA risk that was possibly conferred by ADAM12  variant. The analyses were performed not only among general population but also in male and female groups.
Results: A total of 8 studies with 10 populations were finally included in this meta-analysis. In the general population, 4 comparisons were carried out (C allele vs G allele, CC vs GG, GC + CC vs GG, and CC vs GC + GG) and found that ADAM12 rs3740199  polymorphism was not associated with increased OA vulnerability. On the other hand, the analyses stratified by gender made 5 comparisons (C allele vs G allele, CC vs GG, GC vs GG, GC + CC vs GG, and CC vs GC + GG). It was shown that rs3740199  polymorphism (GC + CC vs GG) was a risk factor for OA among male patients (OR =1.45, 95% CI =1.04–2.01). Sensitivity analysis indicated that it was an unstable outcome. No correlation was identified in women. Neither heterogeneity nor publication bias was detected in the analyses mentioned above.
Conclusion: ADAM12 rs3740199  polymorphism is likely to be associated with OA susceptibility among male patients, other than the general population. More studies are needed to confirm this observation. The mechanism by which ADAM12  variant plays a role in OA pathogenesis is also warranted and important for interpreting this possible correlation.
Keywords: osteoarthritis, meta-analysis, single nucleotide polymorphism, ADAM