Interleukin-6 −634C/G polymorphism is associated with lung cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Several studies have examined the associations of polymorphisms in interleukin-6 (IL6) with lung cancer (LC) risk. However, the results were conflicting. Thus, a meta-analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between IL6 polymorphisms and LC risk. Databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Wanfang, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched. Data were extracted and pooled odds ratios (OR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Thirteen studies were included in this meta-analysis. Overall, a significant association between IL6 ?634C/G polymorphism and LC susceptibility was observed for GG?+?CG vs. CC (OR?=?1.33, 95 % CI 1.20–1.47, P?<?0.00001). This polymorphism was also significantly associated with LC risk in Asians (OR?=?1.33, 95 % CI 1.20–1.47, P?<?0.00001), female patients (OR?=?1.30, 95 % CI 1.11–1.52, P?=?0.0009), male patients (OR?=?1.25, 95 % CI 1.03–1.52, P?=?0.02), non-small cell lung cancer patients (OR?=?1.21, 95 % CI 1.03–1.41, P?=?0.02), small cell lung cancer patients (OR?=?1.91, 95 % CI 1.23–2.97, P?=?0.004), smokers (OR?=?1.42, 95 % CI 1.21–1.65, P?<?0.0001), and non-smokers (OR?=?1.32, 95 % CI 1.13–1.53, P?=?0.0003), respectively. No significant result was found for IL6 ?174C/G polymorphism. This meta-analysis suggested that IL6 ?634C/G polymorphism was a risk factor for LC.     

Polymorphisms in the MDM2 gene and risk of malignant bone tumors: a meta-analysis

There are several studies published to assess the associations of murine double minute 2 (MDM2) genetic polymorphisms with risk of malignant bone tumors, but they reported contradictory results and failed to confirm a strong and consistent association. To assess the evidence regarding the associations of MDM2 genetic polymorphisms with the risk of malignant bone tumors, we conducted a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with its 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) was used to assess these possible associations. Four studies with a total of 3,958 individuals were finally included the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis of two studies on MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism showed that MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of malignant bone tumors (G versus T: OR?=?1.72, 95 % CI 1.35–2.20, P?<?0.001; GG versus TT: OR?=?2.64, 95 % CI 1.59–4.39, P?<?0.001; GG/GT versus TT: OR?=?1.87, 95 % CI 1.33–2.62, P?<?0.001; GG versus TT/GT: OR?=?2.20, 95 % CI 1.38–3.51, P?=?0.001). Meta-analysis of those two studies on MDM2 rs1690916 polymorphism showed that MDM2 rs1690916 minor allele A was associated with decreased risk of malignant bone tumors (OR?=?0.60, 95 % CI 0.46–0.77, P?<?0.001). Meta-analyses of available data show that there are significant associations of MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism and MDM2 rs1690916 polymorphism with malignant bone tumors.     

Association between epidermal growth factor gene rs4444903 polymorphism and risk of glioma

The development of glioma is a complex process which may be influenced by many factors including the epidermal growth factor (EGF) gene polymorphism. Previous studies showed that EGF rs4444903 polymorphism could result in increased risk of tumorigenesis in multiple human cancers, but published data regarding the association between EGF rs4444903 polymorphism and glioma risk were inconsistent. To derive a more precise estimation of the association between EGF rs4444903 polymorphism and glioma risk, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of previous published studies. PubMed, Embase, and the Wanfang databases were systematically searched to identify relevant studies. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) were calculated to assess the strength of the association. Ten published studies with 1,891 glioma cases and 2,836 controls were finally included into the study. Overall, there was a significant association between EGF rs4444903 polymorphism and glioma risk in all four genetic models (the allele model: OR?=?1.25, 95 % CI 1.15–1.37, P?<?0.001; the codominant model: OR?=?1.65, 95 % CI 1.36–1.99, P?<?0.001; the dominant model: OR?=?1.27, 95 % CI 1.12–1.44, P?<?0.001; the recessive model: OR?=?1.48, 95 % CI 1.25–1.75, P?<?0.001). Subgroup analyses by ethnicity showed that EGF rs4444903 polymorphism resulted in a higher risk of glioma among both Asians and Caucasians. In conclusion, the results suggest that there is a significant association between EGF rs4444903 polymorphism and glioma risk, and genotypes of EGF rs4444903 mutation contribute to increased host susceptibility to glioma.     

Association between tumor necrosis factor-α rs1800629 polymorphism and risk of gastric cancer: a meta-analysis

Gastric cancer is mainly initiated by inflammation and chronic superficial gastritis, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is an inflammatory cytokine which plays an important role in the inflammation. TNF-α rs1800629 G/A polymorphism was proposed to be associated with gastric cancer risk, but previous studies on Caucasians reported conflicting results. We performed a meta-analysis to comprehensively assess the association between TNF-α rs1800629 polymorphism and gastric cancer risk in Caucasians. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) was calculated to assess the association. Eleven case–control studies with 7,427 subjects were finally included into the meta-analysis. Overall, TNF-α rs1800629 polymorphism was significantly associated with the increased risk of gastric cancer under four genetic comparison models (A versus G: OR?=?1.32, 95 % CI 1.12–1.56, P?=?0.001; AA versus GG: OR?=?1.76, 95 % CI 1.37–2.26, P?<?0.001; AA versus GG/GA: OR?=?1.62, 95 % CI 1.27–2.07, P?<?0.001; AA/GA versus GG: OR?=?1.35, 95 % CI 1.14–1.60, P?=?0.001). Meta-analysis of those studies with high quality showed that TNF-α rs1800629 polymorphism was still significantly associated with the increased risk of gastric cancer under four genetic comparison models. There was no risk of publication bias in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis suggests that TNF-α rs1800629 polymorphism is associated with the increased risk of gastric cancer in Caucasians.     

Association of X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 promoter rs3213245 polymorphism with lung cancer risk

X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) is a major DNA repair protein in the base excision repair pathway. XRCC1 rs3213245 is a functional polymorphism in the XRCC1 gene promoter region which results in decreased DNA repair capacity. Previous studies investigating the association of XRCC1 rs3213245 polymorphism with lung cancer risk reported conflicting results. A meta-analysis of published studies was performed to provide a comprehensive assessment of the association. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with its 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) was calculated to assess the association. Subgroup analysis was performed by ethnicity. Finally, six studies with a total of 3,208 cases and 3,505 control studies were included into our meta-analysis. The pooled results showed that there was a significant association between XRCC1 rs3213245 polymorphism and lung cancer risk (allele model: OR?=1.31, 95 % CI 1.13–1.51, P?<?0.001; homozygote model: OR?=?1.42, 95 % CI 1.13–1.79, P?=?0.003; recessive model: OR?=?1.39, 95 % CI 1.13–1.71, P?=?0.002; dominant model: OR?=?1.31, 95 % CI 1.17–1.47, P?<?0.001). Subgroup analysis by ethnicity showed that the association was still significant in both Asians (all P values less than 0.05) and Caucasians (recessive model: OR?=?1.26, 95 % CI 1.01–1.59, P?=?0.045). Thus, there is a significant association of XRCC1 rs3213245 polymorphism with lung cancer risk.     

Effects of murine double minute 2 polymorphisms on the risk and survival of osteosarcoma: a systemic review and meta-analysis

Murine double minute 2 (MDM2) plays an important role in the carcinogenesis of many cancers including osteosarcoma. We performed a systemic review and meta-analysis to assess the effects of MDM2 polymorphisms on osteosarcoma risk and survival of patients with osteosarcoma. PubMed, Web of Science, and Wanfang databases were searched for eligible studies on the associations of MDM2 polymorphisms with osteosarcoma risk and survival of patients with osteosarcoma. Pooled odds ratio (OR) or hazard ratio (HR) with 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) was used to assess the effects of MDM2 polymorphisms on osteosarcoma risk and survival of patients with osteosarcoma. Overall, MDM2 rs2279744 polymorphism was associated with a risk of osteosarcoma (allele model, OR?=?1.60, 95 % CI 1.23–2.07, P?<?0.001; codominant model, OR?=?2.47, 95 % CI 1.46–4.19, P?=?0.001; recessive model, OR?=?2.13, 95 % CI 1.32–3.46, P?=?0.002; dominant model, OR?=?1.61, 95 % CI 1.12–2.33, P?=?0.01). MDM2 rs1690916 polymorphism was also associated with a risk of osteosarcoma (OR?=?0.60, 95 % CI 0.46–0.77, P?<?0.001). However, MDM2 rs2279744 polymorphism was not associated with the overall survival of patients with osteosarcoma (codominant model, HR?=?1.01, 95 % CI 0.53–1.91, P?=?0.98; recessive model, HR?=?1.07, 95 % CI 0.54–2.11, P?=?0.85; dominant model, HR?=?1.04, 95 % CI 0.65–1.66, P?=?0.87). The meta-analysis suggests that MDM2 polymorphisms have some effects on the risk of osteosarcoma but have no effect on the survival of patients with osteosarcoma. Future studies are needed to further assess the effects of MDM2 polymorphisms on the risk and survival of osteosarcoma.     

Cleft lip and palate transmembrane protein 1 rs31489 polymorphism is associated with lung cancer risk: a meta-analysis

The potentially functional polymorphism, rs31489, in the promoter region of cleft lip and palate transmembrane protein 1 (CLPTM1L) gene has been implicated in cancer risk. However, individual published studies showed inconclusive results. To obtain a more precise estimate of the association between CLPTM1L rs31489 and risk of lung cancer, we performed a meta-analysis. Summary odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using random-effects models. Ten individual case–control studies in eight publications with 20,680 cases and 28,330 controls were included. Overall, the variant genotypes were associated with a significantly increased lung cancer risk in different genetic models (CC + AC vs. AA: OR?=?1.20, 95 % CI 1.12–1.28, P?<?0.001; CC vs. AC + AA: OR?=?1.15, 95 % CI 1.07–1.23, P?<?0.001; CC vs. AA: OR?=?1.28, 95 % CI 1.17–1.41, P?<?0.001; CC vs. AC: OR?=?1.11, 95 % CI 1.05–1.17, P?<?0.001; C vs. A: OR?=?1.12, 95 % CI 1.06–1.18, P?<?0.001). In the stratified analyses, the increased lung risk remained for the studies of Caucasian populations. In conclusion, this meta-analysis suggested that CLPTM1L rs31489 was a potential biomarker for lung cancer risk in Caucasians.     

Common genetic variants on FOXE1 contributes to thyroid cancer susceptibility: evidence based on 16 studies

Genome-wide association studies have identified polymorphisms at chromosome 9q22.23 as a new thyroid cancer (TC) susceptibility locus in populations of European descent. Since then, the relationship between three common variations (rs965513, rs1867277, and rs71369530) of FOXE1 and TC has been reported in various ethnic groups; however, the results have been inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship as well as to quantify the between-study heterogeneity and potential bias, a meta-analysis including 120,258 individuals from 16 studies was performed. An overall random-effect per-allele odds ratio (OR) of 1.74 (95 % confidence interval (95 % CI), 1.62–1.86, P?<?10^?5) and 1.62 (95 % CI, 1.50–1.76, P?<?10^?5) was found for the rs965513 and rs1867277 polymorphisms, respectively. In addition, we also detected significant association of FOXE1 polyalanine tract (rs71369530) with TC risk (OR?=?2.01; 95 % CI, 1.66–2.44, P?<?10^?5). Significant associations were also detected under dominant and recessive genetic models. In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, significantly increased risks were found for the rs965513 polymorphism among Caucasians (OR?=?1.79; 95 % CI, 1.69–1.91, P?<?10^?5) and Asians (OR?=?1.42; 95 % CI, 1.12–1.81, P?=?0.004). Ethnicity was identified as a potential source of between-study heterogeneity for rs965513. When stratified by sample size, study design, histological types of TC, and radiation exposure status, significantly increased risks were found for the rs965513 polymorphism. This meta-analysis demonstrated that the three common variations on FOXE1 is a risk factor associated with increased TC susceptibility, but these associations vary in different ethnic populations.     

Significant association between cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 +49G>A polymorphism and risk of malignant bone tumors

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) gene +49G>A polymorphism was implicated to be associated with risk of malignant bone tumors, but the finding was inconclusive owing to the limited sample of a single study. The objective of the current study was to conduct a pooled analysis of four previously published studies to investigate the association between CTLA-4 +49G>A polymorphism and the risk of malignant bone tumors. Data were extracted, and the pooled odds ratio (OR) with the corresponding 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) was calculated to assess the association. Those four published studies included a total of 2,165 subjects. The pooled results indicated that CTLA-4 +49G>A polymorphism was significantly associated with risk of malignant bone tumors (AA versus GG: OR?=?2.24, 95 % CI 1.67–2.99, P?<?0.001; AA/GA versus GG: OR?=?1.35, 95 % CI 1.14–1.61, P?=?0.001; AA versus GG/GA: OR?=?2.00, 95 % CI 1.53–2.62, P?<?0.001). Stratified analyses by tumor type showed that CTLA-4 +49G>A polymorphism was associated with risks of both osteosarcoma (AA versus GG: OR?=?2.23, 95 % CI 1.45–3.43, P?<?0.001; AA/GA versus GG: OR?=?1.35, 95 % CI 1.04–1.75, P?=?0.024; AA versus GG/GA: OR?=?2.00, 95 % CI 1.34–2.98, P?=?0.001) and Ewing's sarcoma (AA versus GG: OR?=?2.24, 95 % CI 1.51–3.31, P?<?0.001; AA/GA versus GG: OR?=?1.36, 95 % CI 1.07–1.72, P?=?0.011; AA versus GG/GA: OR?=?2.01, 95 % CI 1.39–2.89, P?<?0.001). Therefore, results from the current pooled analysis suggest that CTLA-4 +49G>A polymorphism is associated with risk of malignant bone tumors, including osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma.     

Association between KIF1B rs17401966 polymorphism and hepatocellular carcinoma risk: a meta-analysis involving 17,210 subjects

Some publications have evaluated the correlation between KIF1B rs17401966 polymorphism and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with conflicting results. We performed this meta-analysis to clarify the association of KIF1B rs17401966 polymorphism and HCC risk. We searched PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. The combined odds ratio (OR) with 95 % confidence interval (CI) was calculated to estimate the strength of the association. Heterogeneity and publication bias were also assessed. In total, 15 case-control studies with 7,596 HCC cases and 9,614 controls were included in the meta-analysis. A significant association between KIF1B rs17401966 polymorphism and HCC risk was detected (OR?=?0.81, 95 % CI 0.72–0.91, P?KIF1B rs17401966 polymorphism and HCC risk in Chinese (OR?=?0.77, 95 % CI 0.67–0.89, P?KIF1B rs17401966 polymorphism was significantly associated with HCC risk in man (OR?=?0.57, 95 % CI 0.51–0.64, P?P?P?P?=?0.11). This meta-analysis showed a significant association between KIF1B rs17401966 polymorphism and HCC.     

Quantitative assessment of the association between XRCC3 C18607T polymorphism and glioma risk

XRCC3 has an important function in the DNA double-strand break, and XRCC3 C18607T polymorphism is a common polymorphism at exon 7 of the XRCC3 gene. Published data on the association between XRCC3 C18607T polymorphism and glioma risk were inconclusive. Electronic databases of PubMed, and Embase were searched for studies assessing the association between XRCC3 C18607T polymorphism and glioma risk. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) were calculated to estimate the association. Ten studies with five studies from Caucasians and five studies from Asians were included, including 9,369 subjects. Meta-analysis of total included studies showed that XRCC3 C18607T polymorphism was associated with increased risk of glioma (T vs. C: OR?=?1.14, 95 % CI 1.02–1.28, P?=?0.02; TT vs. CC: OR?=?1.37, 95 % CI 1.03–1.83, P?=?0.03; TT vs. CC/CT: OR?=?1.31, 95 % CI 1.00–1.71, P?=?0.05; TT/CT vs. CC: OR?=?1.12, 95 % CI 1.02–1.22, P?=?0.02). Meta-analysis of the five studies from Asians showed that XRCC3 C18607T polymorphism was associated with increased risk of glioma (T vs. C: OR?=?1.22, 95% CI 1.09–1.36, P?<?0.01; TT vs. CC: OR?=?1.89, 95 % CI 1.38–2.57, P?<?0.01; TT vs. CC/CT: OR?=?1.78, 95 % CI 1.31–2.40, P?<?0.01; TT/CT vs. CC: OR?=?1.19, 95 % CI 1.04–1.36, P?=?0.01). Meta-analysis of the five studies from Caucasians didn’t find the association. In conclusion, the finding from the meta-analysis provides strong evidence for the association between XRCC3 C18607T polymorphism and glioma risk.     

Lack of association between MTHFD1 G401A polymorphism and ovarian cancer susceptibility

Published studies on the association between methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 1 (MTHFD1) G401A polymorphism and ovarian cancer risk have yielded conflicting results. In order to derive a more precise estimation of the relationship between G401A polymorphism and ovarian cancer risk, the present meta-analysis was performed. All eligible studies on G401A polymorphism and ovarian cancer risk were collected from the PubMed and the Cochrane Library. Statistical analyses were performed by Review Manage 5.0 and Stata 11.0. Our analysis suggested that G401A polymorphism was not associated with ovarian cancer risk when using additive (odds ratio (OR)?=?1.72, 95 % confidence interval (CI)?=?1.34–2.20, P?<?0.0001), recessive (OR?=?1.46, 95 % CI?=?1.21–1.77, P?<?0.0001), dominant (OR?=?1.36, 95 % CI?=?1.10–1.69, P?=?0.004), and allelic models (OR?=?1.30, 95 % CI?=?1.15–1.47, P?<?0.0001) to analyze the data. This meta-analysis suggests that G401A polymorphism might not be a risk factor for ovarian cancer risk. However, further well-designed studies are required to confirm our findings.     

Haplotype analysis of RECQL5 gene and laryngeal cancer

RECQL is a DNA helicase involved in DNA mismatch repair. Previous studies indicated that the RECQL gene mutation was associated with human cancers. In the present study, we investigated the association between polymorphisms of RECQL gene and laryngeal cancer in a Chinese population. Four polymorphisms of the RECQL5 gene (rs820186, rs820196, rs820200, and rs4789223) were genotyped by the TaqMan method in 275 patients with larynx cancer and 300 age- and sex-matched non-cancer controls. We found that rs820196 polymorphism of RECQL5 was associated with larynx cancer, the CC genotype (16.4 % vs 9.3 %, P?=?0.013) and C allele (42 % vs 34.2 %, P?=?0.006) was common in larynx cancer patients than in the control subjects, respectively. Haplotype analysis showed that GCGA (OR?=?18.955, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 9.479?~?37.905; P?<?0.001) and GTTG (OR?=?1.684; 95 % CI 1.327?~?2.137; P?<?0.001) were associated with increased risk for larynx cancer. However, ACGA (OR?=?0.605; 95 % CI 0.430?~?0.852; P?=?0.003), GCGG (OR?=?0.636; 95 % CI 0.411?~?0.982; P?=?0.039), and GTGG (OR?=?0.194; 95 % CI 0.104?~?0.361; P?<?0.001) were associated with decreased risk for larynx cancer. The present study indicated that RECQL5 genetic polymorphism and haplotypes were associated with larynx cancer in a Chinese population.     

The CCND1 G870A polymorphism and susceptibility to bladder cancer

Published studies on the association between cyclin D1 (CCND1) G870A polymorphism and bladder cancer risk have yielded conflicting results. Thus, a systemic review and meta-analysis of published studies were performed to assess the possible association. All eligible studies of G870A polymorphism and bladder cancer risk were collected from the PubMed and the Cochrane Library. Statistical analyses were performed by Review Manager 5.0 and Stata 11.0. Significant association between G870A polymorphism and bladder cancer susceptibility was found under recessive model in overall population (OR?=?1.21, 95 % CI 1.01–1.45, P?=?0.04). When stratifying for the race, our analysis suggested that CCND1 G870A was associated with bladder cancer risk in Asians when using homogeneous codominant (OR?=?1.72, 95 % CI 1.34–2.20, P?<?0.0001), recessive (OR?=?1.46, 95 % CI 1.21–1.77, P?<?0.0001), dominant (OR?=?1.36, 95 % CI 1.10–1.69, P?=?0.004), and allelic models (OR?=?1.30, 95 % CI 1.15–1.47, P?<?0.0001) to analyze the data. However, no significant associations were found in Caucasians. After stratifying the studies by control source, G870A polymorphism was significantly associated with bladder cancer risk under recessive model (OR?=?1.31, 95 % CI 1.03–1.67, P?=?0.03) in hospital-based case–control studies, but not in population-based case–control studies. This meta-analysis suggested that G870A polymorphism most likely contributes to increased susceptibility to bladder cancer in the overall population, hospital-based case–control studies, and Asians.     

Tumor necrosis factor-α 238 G/A polymorphism and gastric cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Though many studies were performed to assess the association between tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) 238 G/A polymorphism and gastric cancer risk, there were no conclusive findings. A meta-analysis of previous published studies was performed to get a comprehensive assessment of the association between TNF-α 238 G/A polymorphisms and gastric cancer. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) were calculated to assess the association. Fifteen studies with a total of 7,795 participants were finally included into this meta-analysis. Overall, there was an obvious association between TNF-α 238 G/A polymorphism and increased risk of gastric cancer (A vs. G: OR?=?1.32, 95 % CI 1.02–1.72, P?=?0.036; GA vs. GG: OR?=?1.32, 95 % CI 1.01–1.72, P?=?0.042; and AA/GA vs. GG: OR?=?1.34, 95 % CI 1.02–1.76, P?=?0.036). Subgroup analysis by ethnicity showed the statistically significant association between TNF-α 238 G/A polymorphism and gastric cancer was limited to Asian populations (A vs. G: OR?=?1.59, 95 % CI 1.29–1.97, P?<?0.001; GA vs. GG: OR?=?1.63, 95 % CI 1.29–2.04, P?<?0.001; and AA/GA vs. GG: OR?=?1.64, 95 %CI 1.31–2.05, P?<?0.001), and there was no obvious association in Caucasians. In conclusion, TNF-α 238 G/A polymorphism is significantly associated with increased risk of gastric cancer, especially in Asians.     

Survival benefit of hepatic resection versus transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombus: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

No consensus treatment has been reached for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). Hepatic resection (HR) and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) have been recommended as effective options, but which is better remains unclear. This meta-analysis is to compare the effectiveness of HR and TACE for HCC with PVTT patients.

Methods

The PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, VIP, Wan Fang, and Sino Med databases were systematically searched for comparing HR and TACE treating PVTT.

Results

Twelve retrospective studies with 3129 patients were included. A meta-analysis of 11 studies suggested that the 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates (OR?=?0.48, 95% CI?=?0.41–0.57, I² =?37%, P?<?0.00001; OR?=?0.21, 95% CI?=?0.12–0.38, I² =?43%, P?<?0.00001; OR?=?0.35, 95% CI?=?0.28–0.44, I² =?53%, P?<?0.00001; OR?=?0.28, 95% CI?=?0.14–0.54, I² =?72%, P?=?0.0001, respectively) favored HR over TACE. In a subgroup analysis, HR had better 1-, 2-,3, 5-year OS for type I PVTT (OR?=?0.33, 95% CI?=?0.17–0.64, I² =?20%, P?=?0.001; OR?=?0.32, 95% CI?=?0.16–0.63, I2?=?0%, P?=?0.001; OR?=?0.18, 95% CI?=?0.09–0.36, I2?=?0%, P?<?0.00001; OR?=?0.07, 95% CI?=?0.01–0.32, I2?=?0%, P?=?0.0006, respectively) and better 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS for type II PVTT (OR?=?0.37, 95% CI?=?0.20–0.70, I² =?59%, P?=?0.002; OR?=?0.22, 95% CI?=?0.13–0.39, I² =?0%, P?<?0.00001; OR?=?0.16; 95% CI?=?0.03–0.91; I² =?51%, P?=?0.04, respectively). There was no difference in 1-, 3-, or 5-year OS between HR and TACE for type III PVTT (OR?=?0.86, 95% CI?=?0.61–1.21, I² =?0%, P?=?0.39; OR?=?0.83, 95% CI?=?0.42–1.64, I² =?0%, P?=?0.59; OR?=?0.59, 95% CI?=?0.06–-6.04, I² =?65%, P?=?0.66, respectively).

Conclusions

HR may lead to longer OS for some selected HCC patients with PVTT than TACE, especially for type I or II PVTT, with less difference being observed for type III or IV PVTT.

     

PLCE1 rs2274223 A>G polymorphism and cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Phospholipase C epsilon 1 gene (PLCE1) encodes a phospholipase enzyme which regulates various physiological processes (cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis) and is supposed to play a critical role in carcinogenesis. Recently, a single nucleotide polymorphism (rs2274223 A>G) in PLCE1 was reported as a novel susceptibility locus for esophageal and gastric cancers by genome-wide association studies performed in Chinese population. However, individual association studies replicating this finding showed inconclusive results. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis of eligible studies to derive precise estimation of the association of PLCE1 rs2274223 A>G polymorphism with cancer risk. We performed pooled analysis of 12 case–control studies including 7,622 cases and 9,555 controls. Odds ratios and 95 % confidence interval were calculated to assess strength of association in overall studies and in subgroup analysis stratified by ethnicity, cancer types, and source of controls. All statistical analyses were performed by MIX 2.0 software. We found that PLCE1 rs2274223 A>G polymorphism was significantly associated with increased risk of cancer in log additive/dominant model and at allele level (GG vs. AA: OR?=?1.24, 95 % CI?=?1.01–1.53, P?=?0.039; AG vs. AA: OR?=?1.24, 95 % CI?=?1.16–1.32, P?<?0.001; AG?+?GG vs. AA: OR?=?1.22, 95 % CI?=?1.12–1.34, P?<?0.001; and G vs. A allele: OR?=?1.15, 95 % CI?=?1.05–1.25, P?=?0.002). Further, stratified analysis showed elevated risk of only gastric and esophageal tumors. Sub-group analysis based on ethnicity suggests PLCE1 polymorphism conferred significant risk among Asian (Chinese) but not in Caucasian. In conclusion, PLCE1 rs2274223 polymorphism may be used as potential biomarker for cancer susceptibility particularly for esophageal/gastric cancer and for the Chinese population.