Relationship between MED12 mutation and development of uterine leiomyomas: a meta-analysis

Objective To investigate the relationship between MED12 mutation and development of uterine leiomyoma.Methods A thorough search was performed of English language medical literatures published in Pubmed/Medline,EMBASE,Ovid,Springer and Cochrane from July 1995 through January 2013,and of Chinese language medical literatures in CNKI from January 1994 to January 2013,and CBMdisc from January 1978 to January 2013.Articles concerning MED12 mutations in uterine leiomyomas were retrieved for subsequent study on the relationship between MED 12 mutation and development of uterine leiomyoma,as well as the racial difference and geographical distribution of MED12 mutation.Results A total of 614 patients from 9 articles were enrolled in this study.The rate of MED12 mutation was 64.90％ (416/641),which was statistically different from that (0.79％,17/2146) in the control group (x2=1 540.848,P＜0.001).MED12 mutation was the risk factor for the development of uterine leiomyomas (OR=61.83,95％ CI:33.82-113.03).Pooled analysis of ethnicity showed that the rate of MED12 mutation was 68.99％ (238/345) in Caucasians,62.75％ (32/51) in blacks,and 63.39％ (71/112) in Asians.Moreover,there was no significant difference in MED 12 mutation rate between ethnicity (all P＞O.05).Pooled analysis of different regions showed that the rate of MED12 mutation was 63.39％ (71/112) in Asians,65.29％ (222/340) in Europeans,67.70％ (109/161) in America,50.00％ (14/28) in Africans.Africans had the lowest rate of MED12 mutation as compared with Europeans and Americans (both P＜0.05).Conclusions MED12 mutation is correlated with the risk of uterine leiomyomas.Mutation of MED12 does not correlate with ethnicity,but may correlate with regional difference. Key words: Fibroids, uterine;  RNA polymerase Ⅱ transcription regulators 12;  Mutation;  Meta-analysis