Meta-Analysis of the Association Between <i>VEGF</i>-2578C/A Polymorphism and Susceptibility to Type 2 Diabetic Retinopathy

to investigate the association between vascular endothelial growth factor (<i>VEGF)</i>-2578C/A polymorphism and susceptibility to type 2 diabetic retinopathy (T2DR) by meta-analysis. According to the search strategy, Four databases were retrieved to identify the literature on the relationship between <i>VEGF</i> polymorphism and the risk of T2DR from inception to July 2024. Stata 15.0 was used for data processing. Ten articles were involved in this review, covering 1390 cases and 1306 controls. The pooled results exhibited that the risk of T2DR was associated with <i>VEGF</i>-2578C/A polymorphism under the allele model (A/C: OR= 1.33, 95%CI: 1.04–1.72, <i>p</i> = 0.025) and dominant models (AA+CA/CC: OR= 1.38, 95%CI: 1.00–1.91, <i>p</i> = 0.047). However, in recessive, homozygous, and heterozygous models, no significant difference was observed (all <i>p</i> &gt; 0.05). The <i>VEGF</i>-2578C/A polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to T2DR. In particular, allele A and genotype AA+CA at the <i>VEGF</i>-2578C/A locus were significantly associated with an increased risk of T2DR.