Relationship between SERPING1 rs2511989 polymorphism and age-related macular degeneration risk: a meta-analysis
Authors: Yan-Hua Ma
Yan-Bo Ma
Hong-Ling Liu
Shao-Ying Fu
Journal: Molecular vision (2014)
Discipline: CLINICAL MEDICINE
Keywords: meta-analysis; polymorphism; SERPING1; rs2511989; age-related macular degeneration
Affiliations: Department of Ophthalmology, Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital, Harbin, P.R. China., Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, P.R. China., Liaoning Electric Power Spa Sanatorium of Xingcheng City, P.R. China.

Abstract:  Purpose: We conducted a meta-analysis aiming to evaluate the relationship between a common polymorphism (rs2511989 G&gt;A) in the SERPING1 gene and the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: The PubMed, CISCOM, CINAHL, Web of Science, Google Scholar, EBSCO, Cochrane Library, and CBM databases were searched for relevant articles published before November 1, 2013, without any language restrictions. A meta-analysis was conducted using STATA 12.0 software. We calculated a crude odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) to evaluate the relationships under five genetic models. Results: Seven case-control studies with a total of 7,159 patients with AMD and 5,797 healthy subjects met the inclusion criteria. The results of our meta-analysis showed that the SERPING1 rs2511989 polymorphism might be correlated with an increased risk of AMD (G allele versus A allele: OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.03-1.15, p = 0.020; GG + GA versus AA: OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.03-1.26, p = 0.014; GG versus GA+AA: OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.02-1.19, p = 0.012; GG versus AA: OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.07-1.34, p = 0.002; respectively). Results of subgroup analysis by ethnicity revealed positive correlations between the SERPING1 rs2511989 polymorphism and risk of AMD among Caucasians under five genetic models (all p&lt;0.05), but not among Asians (all p&gt;0.05). Conclusions: The current meta-analysis shows that the SERPING1 rs2511989 polymorphism may have a positive effect on the risk of AMD, especially among Caucasians. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 This paper includes a reference to u201cBeggers funnel plot,u201d (alt spelling: Beggeru2019s) a non-existent test discussed in the 2014 Scientific American (SA) article at the link below, which author Charles Seife uses as a keyword to identify papers produced by u201cpaper mills.u201d I am posting this comment on a number of papers Iu2019ve located that include the u201cBeggers funnel plotu201d term so thereu2019s a PubPeer record for the institutions and authors involved. If any author wishes to comment, please feel free to do so here. In this paper, the errant term appears in the caption and labels for Figure 6. Below is information from the SA article. https: www.scientificamerican.com article for-sale-your-name-here-in-a-prestigious-science-journal For Sale: u201cYour Name Hereu201d in a Prestigious Science Journal *An investigation into some scientific papers finds worrying irregularities* Two relevant excerpts: u201c u2018Beggers funnel plotu2019 is particularly revealing. **There is no such thing as a Beggers funnel plot.**  It doesn t exist. That s the point, says Guillaume Filion, a biologist at the Center for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona, Spain (pdf). A statistician named Colin Begg and another statistician named Matthias Egger each invented tests and tools to look for biases that creep into meta-analyses.  Begger s funnel plot appears to be an accidental hybrid of the two names.u201d [emphasis added] Filion spotted the proliferation of  Begger s tests by accident. While looking for trends in medical journal articles, he found papers that had almost identical titles, similar choices in graphics and the same quirky errors, such as  Begger s funnel plot. He reckons that the papers came from the same source, even though they are ostensibly written by different groups of authors.  It s difficult to imagine that 28 people independently would invent the name of a statistical test, Filion says. u2018So that s why we were very shocked.u2019 u201c *** ![file] ,