The rs75932628 and rs2234253 polymorphisms of the TREM2 gene were associated with susceptibility to frontotemporal lobar degeneration in Caucasian populations

Polymorphisms of the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) gene have been reported to be potentially associated with the risks of developing frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), with inconsistent conclusions. This study aims to comprehensively investigate the potential role of TREM2 variants in FTLD risks via a meta‐analysis. We included a total of eight eligible articles. For TREM2 rs75932628, we observed a significantly increased FTLD risk in the models of T vs. C Association Test, odds ratio (OR) = 2.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.43～4.14, P = 0.001], CT vs. CC (OR = 2.27, 95% CI = 1.39～3.71, P = 0.001), CT + TT vs. CC (OR = 2.27, 95% CI = 1.38～3.71, P = 0.001), and Carrier T vs. C (OR = 2.26, 95% CI = 1.38～3.69, P = 0.001). Similarly, we observed positive results for TREM2 rs2234253 in all of the genetic models (all OR > 1, P = 0.030). Nevertheless, we did not observe any statistical difference between the case and control groups in the pooled analyses of TREM2 rs142232675 and rs143332484 (all P > 0.05). Our findings identified the rs75932628 and rs2234253 polymorphisms of the TREM2 gene as risk factors for FTLD in Caucasian populations.