Statistical Analysis
Data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical package (version 17.0) and PLINK v1.07 software. Continuous variables underwent Student’s t-test analysis and are articulated as mean ± SD. Pearson’s χ test evaluated categorical data, whereas Fisher’s exact test was reserved for instances of expected low cell frequencies. Genotype distributions were compared using Fisher’s exact test (χ2 test). The strength of genetic variant associations with primary outcomes was represented through ORs and 95% CIs, assessed via unconditional logistic regression. Haploview 4.1 software (Daly Lab, USA) was employed to define LD patterns and haplotype structures, with significance determined through the χ2 test. A P-value below 0.05 was earmarked as statistically significant.