Abstract
Family, twin, adoption studies show osteoarthritis (OA) has a substantial genetic component. Several studies have shown an association between OA and Growth Differentiation Factor 5 (GDF5), some others have not. Thus, the status of the OA-GDF5 association is uncertain. This meta-analysis was applied to case-control studies of the association between OA and GDF5 to assess the joint evidence for the association, the influence of individual studies, and evidence for publication bias. Relevant studies were identified from the following electronic databases: MEDLINE and current contents before Feb. 2012. For the case-control studies, the authors found 1) support for the association between OA and GDF5. The rs143383 polymorphism was significantly associated with OA [fixed: OR and 95% CI: 1.193 (1.139-1.249), p < 0.001; random: OR and 95% CI: 1.204 (1.135-1.276), p < 0.001], 2) no evidence that this association was accounted for by any one study, and 3) no evidence for publication bias. Although the effect size of the association between OA and GDF5 is small, there is suggestive evidence for an association. Further studies are needed to clarify what variant of GDF5 (or some nearby gene) accounts for this association.