Association between MTHFR Ala222Val (rs1801133) polymorphism and bladder cancer susceptibility: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Folate metabolism is thought to play an important role in carcinogenesis through its involvement in both DNA methylation and nucleotide synthesis. The association between the MTHFR Ala222Val polymorphism and bladder cancer has been widely reported, however, in general the data from published studies with individually low statistical power were controversial and underpowered. Hence, we performed a meta-analysis to investigate the association between bladder cancer and MTHFR Ala222Val in different inheritance models. Fourteen studies including a total of 3,570 bladder cancer cases and 3,926 controls for MTHFR rs1801133 polymorphism were included in the meta-analysis. Data were extracted from these studies and odds ratios with corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) were computed to estimate the strength of the association. Overall, the MTHFR Ala222Val polymorphism was not associated with the development of bladder cancer in all genetic models (Ala/Ala vs. Val/Val—OR?=?0.961, 95 % CI?=?0.763–1.209; Ala/Ala vs. Ala/Val—OR?=?0.918, 95 % CI?=?0.795–1.060—Ala/Val vs. Val/Val—OR?=?1.022, 95 % CI?=?0.852–1.227; dominant model—OR?=?0.998, 95 % CI?=?0.869–1.145; recessive model—OR?=?0.921, 95 % CI?=?0.794–1.069; Ala allele vs. Val allele—OR?=?0.957, 95 % CI?=?0.857–1.067). In the stratified analyses, no significant associations were found among different descent populations and sources of controls. Our meta-analysis suggests that the MTHFR Ala222Val polymorphism not contributes to the development of bladder cancer.     

Genetic polymorphisms of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene Ala222Val and susceptibility to ovary cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Many studies have reported the role of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene Ala222Val polymorphism with ovary cancer risk, but the results remained controversial. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, a meta-analysis was performed. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated to assess the association between MTHFR Ala222Val polymorphism and ovary cancer risk. A total of 8 studies including 3,723 cases and 4,001 controls were also involved in this meta-analysis. When all the eligible studies were pooled into this meta-analysis, no significant association between ovary cancer risk and MTHFR Ala222Val polymorphism was found in all genetic models [codominant model: OR?=?0.980, 95 % CI?=?0.756–1.270, P _h?=?0.088, P?=?0.877; dominant model: OR?=?1.022, 95 % CI?=?0.864–1.208, P _h?=?0.033, P?=?0.803; recessive model: OR?=?1.050, 95 % CI?=?0.803–1.373, P _h?=?0.032, P?=?0.723; allele comparison model: OR?=?1.028, 95 % CI?=?0.898–1.178, P _h?=?0.012, P?=?0.685]. In the stratified analysis by ethnicity, no evidence of any associations of this polymorphism with ovary cancer was found in the Caucasian populations. Our meta-analysis supports that the MTHFR Ala222Val polymorphism is not contributed to the risk of ovary cancer from currently available evidence.     

Lack of association between MHTFR Glu429Ala polymorphism and breast cancer susceptibility: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 29 research studies

The association between MHTFR Glu429Val polymorphism and breast cancer risk are inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, a meta-analysis was performed. A total of 29 studies including 8,649 cases and 18,672 controls were involved in this meta-analysis. Overall, no significant associations were found between MTHFR Glu429Ala polymorphism and breast cancer risk when all studies were pooled into the meta-analysis (Glu/Glu vs Ala/Ala: OR?=?0.891, 95 % CI?=?0.782–1.015; Glu/Ala vs Ala/Ala: OR?=?0.874, 95 % CI?=?0.760–1.006; dominant model: OR?=?0.885, 95 % CI?=?0.775–1.012; and recessive model: OR?=?0.989, 95 % CI?=?0.931–1.051). In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, significantly elevated breast cancer risk was associated with Glu/Glu variant genotype in homozygote comparison and recessive genetic model (Glu/Glu vs Ala/Ala: OR?=?0.78, 95 % CI?=?0.63–0.97; Glu/Glu vs Glu/Ala: OR?=?0.92, 95 % CI?=?0.85–0.99; recessive model: OR?=?0.91, 95 % CI?=?0.85–0.97), while no significant associations were found for all comparison models in other ethnicity populations. In conclusion, this meta-analysis suggests that the MTHFR Glu429Ala polymorphism may be not associated with breast cancer development.     

XPC gene polymorphisms contribute to bladder cancer susceptibility: a meta-analysis

Numerous studies have investigated the association between three polymorphisms (Lys939Gln, Ala499Val and PAT?/+) of Xeroderma pigmentosum group C (XPC) gene and bladder cancer susceptibility; however, the findings are inconclusive. In order to acquire a more precise estimation of the relationship, we performed a meta-analysis based on 10 studies including 3,934 cases and 4,269 controls for Lys939Gln, five studies including 2,113 cases and 2,249 controls for Ala499Val, and seven studies including 2,834 cases and 3,048 controls for PAT?/+ polymorphism. We searched publications from EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Chinese Biomedical. We calculated pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) by using either fixed-effects or random-effects model according to the between-study heterogeneity. We found that all studied polymorphisms were individually associated with increased overall cancer risks, as shown by ORs (95 % CIs) below: the Lys939Gln (Gln/Gln vs. Lys/Lys: OR?=?1.39, 95 % CI?=?1.08–1.79; recessive model: OR?=?1.42, 95 % CI?=?1.11–1.83; and allele comparing: OR?=?1.12, 95 % CI?=?1.003–1.24), the Ala499Val (Val/Val vs. Ala/Ala: OR?=?1.82, 95 % CI?=?1.19–2.79; recessive model: OR?=?1.70, 95 % CI?=?1.18–2.46; and allele comparing: OR?=?1.23, 95 % CI?=?1.01–1.50), and the PAT?/+ (+/+ vs. ?/?: OR?=?1.36, 95 % CI?=?1.03–1.79 and recessive model: OR?=?1.34, 95 % CI?=?1.06–1.70). Furthermore, stratification analyses demonstrated an increased risk for Asian populations as to the Lys939Gln and PAT?/+ whereas for Caucasian populations as to the Ala499Val polymorphism in the homozygous and recessive models. Despite some limitations, this meta-analysis suggests that XPC polymorphisms are associated with bladder cancer risk, but this association warrants further validation in well-designed studies with large sample sizes.     

Quantitative assessment of the association between glutathione S-transferase P1 Ile105Val polymorphism and bladder cancer risk

Previous studies investigating the association between glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) Ile105Val polymorphism and bladder cancer risk reported controversial results. This study aimed to quantify the strength of the association between GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and bladder cancer risk by performing a meta-analysis. We searched the PubMed, Embase, and Wanfang databases for publications on the association between GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and bladder cancer risk. We estimated the pooled odds ratios (ORs) with their confidence intervals (95 %CIs) to assess the association. Twenty-five individual studies with a total of 12,360 subjects were finally included. Meta-analysis of all 25 studies showed that GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism was associated with increased risk of bladder cancer risk under four genetic comparison models (for G versus A, random-effect OR?=?1.19, 95 %CI 1.05–1.35; for GG versus AA, random-effect OR?=?1.49, 95 %CI 1.12–1.97; for GG/GA versus AA, random-effect OR?=?1.20, 95 %CI 1.03–1.39; for GG versus GA/AA, random-effect OR?=?1.41, 95 %CI 1.10–1.80). Sensitivity analysis showed that GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism was still associated with bladder cancer risk under three genetic comparison models (for G versus A, random-effects OR?=?1.13, 95 %CI 1.01–1.26; for GG versus AA, random-effects OR?=?1.29, 95 %CI 1.01–1.65; for GG versus GA/AA, random-effects OR?=?1.19, 95 %CI 1.04–1.35). No evidence of publication bias was observed. This meta-analysis shows that there is an obvious association between GSTP1 Ile105ValIle105Val polymorphism and bladder cancer risk, and GSTP1 ILE105VAL polymorphism contributes to bladder cancer risk.     

Association between insulin receptor substrate 1 Gly972Arg polymorphism and cancer risk

Epidemiological studies investigating the association between the insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) gene Gly972Arg (rs1801278) polymorphism and various carcinomas risk reported conflicting results. Thus, a systemic review and meta-analysis of published studies were performed to assess the possible association. A comprehensive search was conducted to identify all eligible studies of IRS1 Gly972Arg polymorphism and cancer risk. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of the associations. A total of 16 independent studies, including 11,776 cases and 11,654 controls, were identified. When all studies were pooled, we found a significant association between IRS1 Gly972Arg polymorphism and increased cancer risk under dominant model (OR?=?1.16, 95 %CI?=?1.04–1.30, P?=?0.007) and allelic model (OR?=?1.16, 95 %CI?=?1.02–1.30, P?=?0.02). In subgroup analysis based on cancer type, increased cancer risk was found in ovarian cancer (dominant: OR?=?1.55, 95 %CI?=?1.17–2.05, P?=?0.002; allelic: OR?=?1.55, 95 %CI?=?1.19–2.01, P?=?0.001), breast cancer (allelic: OR?=?1.12, 95 %CI?=?1.00–1.26, P?=?0.05), and other cancers (allelic: OR?=?1.31, 95 %CI?=?1.00–1.71, P?=?0.05). When stratified by study types, significant associations were observed in both cohort studies (dominant: OR?=?1.25, 95 %CI?=?1.06–1.47, P?=?0.007; allelic: OR?=?1.25, 95 %CI?=?1.07–1.46, P?=?0.005) and case–control studies (dominant: OR?=?1.15, 95 %CI?=?1.01–1.31, P?=?0.04). In the subgroup analyses by ethnicity, significantly increased cancer risk was suggested among both Caucasians (dominant: OR?=?1.13, 95 %CI?=?1.02–1.26, P?=?0.02; allelic: OR?=?1.13, 95 %CI?=?1.03–1.25, P?=?0.01) and mixed population (dominant: OR?=?1.22, 95 %CI?=?1.01–1.46, P?=?0.04). Our investigations demonstrate that IRS1 Gly972Arg polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of cancer, and additional well-designed studies are warranted to validate these findings.     

Quantitative assessment of the association between MTHFR rs1801131 polymorphism and risk of liver cancer

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is one of the most important enzymes for folate metabolism which plays a key role in cell metabolism. MTHFR rs1801131 (A1298C) polymorphism can decrease in vitro MTHFR enzyme activity and has been hypothesized to be associated with liver cancer risk. This study aimed to quantify the strength of the association between MTHFR rs1801131 polymorphism and liver cancer risk by performing a meta-analysis. We searched the PubMed and Wanfang databases for studies relating on the association between MTHFR rs1801131 polymorphism and risk of liver cancer. Seven studies with 2,030 cases of liver cancer and 3,096 controls were finally included into the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis of a total of seven studies showed that the homozygote genotype CC of MTHFR rs1801131 polymorphism was significantly associated with decreased risk of liver cancer (for CC versus AA: odds ratio (OR)?=?0.65, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.47–0.89, P?=?0.007; for CC versus AA?+?AC: OR?=?0.65, 95 % CI 0.48–0.89, P?=?0.006). Subgroup by race showed that the homozygote genotype CC of MTHFR rs1801131 polymorphism was significantly associated with decreased risk of liver cancer in Asians (CC versus AA: OR?=?0.64, 95 % CI 0.46–0.90, P?=?0.010; for CC versus AA?+ AC: OR?=?0.63, 95 % CI 0.45–0.88, P?=?0.007). However, the association in Caucasians was still unclear owing to the limited data available now. Thus, Asian individuals with the homozygote genotype CC of MTHFR rs1801131 polymorphism are significantly associated with decreased risk of liver cancer. The association in Caucasians needs further studies.     

Quantitative assessment of the association between GSTP1 gene Ile105Val polymorphism and susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma

Glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) gene Ile105Val polymorphism has been suggested to be involved in the development of cancer. However, the results from the studies regarding the association between GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and hepatocellular carcinoma risk have been inconsistent. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis to investigate the association. Published literature from PubMed, Chinese Biomedical Literature, and Wanfang databases was searched for eligible publications. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (95 %CIs) were calculated using random- or fixed-effects model. Six studies with a total of 1,843 participants were finally included into this meta-analysis. The results suggested there was no association between GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and hepatocellular carcinoma risk under all genetic models (for ValVal vs. IleIle, OR?=?0.79, 95 %CI 0.48–1.29, P?=?0.341; for IleVal vs. IleIle, OR?=?1.05, 95 %CI 0.84–1.30, P?=?0.678; for the dominant model, OR?=?0.91, 95 %CI 0.68–1.20, P?=?0.498; and for the recessive model, OR?=?0.76, 95 %CI 0.47–1.24, P?=?0.269). Subgroup analyses by ethnicity showed there was also no association between GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and hepatocellular carcinoma risk in Asians under all genetic models (All P values were more than 0.05), but GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism was associated with decreased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in European under the recessive model (ValVal vs. IleVal/IleIle) (OR?=?0.44, 95 %CI 0.20–0.98, P?=?0.044). In conclusion, the meta-analysis suggests that there is little evidence for the association between GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and hepatocellular carcinoma risk. However, more well-designed studies are needed to further assess this association.     

Association between the GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and prostate cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Many studies have reported the role of glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) Ile105Val polymorphism with prostate cancer (PCa) risk. However, these studies have yielded conflicting results. Hence, we performed this meta-analysis to investigate the association between GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and PCa in different inheritance models. A total of 13 eligible studies were pooled into this meta-analysis. There was significant association between the GSTP1 Ile158Val variant genotypes and PCa for Ile/Ile vs Val/Val comparison [odds ratio (OR)?=?0.705; I ²?=?63.7 %; 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI)?=?0.508–0.977], Ile/Val vs Val/Val comparison (OR?=?0.736; I ²?=?8.0 %; 95 % CI?=?0.613–0.883), and dominant model (OR?=?0.712; I ²?=?45.5 %; 95 % CI?=?0.555–0.913). However, no associations were detected for other genetic models. In the stratified analysis by ethnicity, significant associations between GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and PCa risk were also found among Caucasians (Ile/Ile vs Val/Val comparison OR?=?0.818, I ²?=?0.0 %, 95 % CI?=?0.681–0.982; Ile/Val vs Val/Val comparison OR?=?0.779, I ²?=?0.0 %, 95 % CI?=?0.651–0.933; and dominant model OR?=?0.794, I ²?=?0.0 %, 95 % CI?=?0.670–0.941), while there were no associations found for other genetic models. However, no associations were found in Asians and African-Americans for all genetic models when stratified by ethnicity. In conclusion, our meta-analysis indicates that GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphisms contributed to the PCa susceptibility. However, a study with the larger sample size is needed to further evaluate gene–environment interaction on GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphisms and PCa risk.     

Associations between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphisms and hepatocellular carcinoma risk in Chinese population

Genetic polymorphisms of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene are considered to have some influence on both folate metabolism and cancer risk. Previous studies on the associations of MTHFR genetic polymorphisms with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk in Chinese population reported inconsistent results. We performed this meta-analysis to comprehensively assess the associations. Finally, 12 individual case–control studies were included into the meta-analysis. There were seven studies (6,384 subjects) on the MTHFR C677T polymorphism and five studies (4,502 subjects) on the MTHFR A1298C polymorphism. Overall, MTHFR C677T polymorphism was significantly associated with susceptibility to HCC in Chinese population (T versus C, odds ratio (OR)?=?1.09, 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) 1.01–1.17; TT versus CC, OR?=?1.17, 95 % CI 1.00–1.38; TT/CT versus CC, OR?=?1.12, 95 % CI 1.00–1.26). MTHFR A1298C polymorphism was conversely associated with HCC risk in Chinese population (CC versus AA, OR?=?0.65, 95 % CI 0.46–0.91; CC versus AA/AC, OR?=?0.64, 95 % CI 0.46–0.90). The sensitivity analysis confirmed the reliability and stability of the meta-analysis. Thus, the findings from our meta-analysis support the associations of MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms with HCC risk in Chinese population.     

Associations between polymorphisms of the XPC gene and lung cancer susceptibility: a meta-analysis

Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group C (XPC) gene plays a critical role in DNA damage recognition, and its functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may alter DNA repair capacity and cancer susceptibility. Numerous epidemiological studies have investigated the associations between XPC Lys939Gln and Ala499Val polymorphisms and lung cancer susceptibility, but the conclusions are inconclusive. We searched three electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE and EBSCO) for eligible publications and performed a meta-analysis assessing the associations between XPC Lys939Gln and Ala499Val polymorphisms and lung cancer risk. We also analysed the genotype-mRNA expression correlation using the data of HapMap phase II release 23 with 270 individuals from 4 ethnicities for exploring biological plausibility of our findings. We included ten published studies of 3,882 cases and 5,219 controls for Lys939Gln, and five studies with 2,605 cases and 3,329 controls for Ala499Val. When all studies were pooled, we found a significantly increased overall lung cancer risk for Lys939Gln polymorphism (recessive model: OR?=?1.14, 95 % CI?=?1.01–1.29, P?=?0.218 for heterogeneity). Stratification analysis also showed a higher lung cancer risk in Asian populations (recessive model: OR?=?1.26, 95 % CI?=?1.04–1.52, P?=?0.263 for heterogeneity). Interestingly, we found significant correlation between Lys939Gln genotypes and XPC mRNA expression for Asian populations as well. However, we did not observe any association between Ala499Val polymorphism and overall lung cancer risk, nor in further stratification analysis. This meta-analysis suggests that XPC Lys939Gln polymorphism may contribute to lung cancer risk, which needs further validation in single larger studies.     

The Val158Met polymorphism in the COMT gene is associated with increased cancer risks in Chinese population

The Val158Met polymorphism in the COMT gene may affect the DNA repair pathways and be associated with the risk of cancer in Chinese population. However, the results of previous studies are inconsistent. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between the Val158Met polymorphism in the COMT gene and the risk of cancer for Chinese population by meta-analysis. We searched PubMed, Embase, CNKI, Weipu, and Wanfang databases, and the last search was updated on Sep. 26, 2013. Statistical analysis was performed using the Revman4.2 and Stata10.0 software. A total of 18 case–control studies concerning 5034 case and 6234 controls were included. In the total analysis, the results suggested a significant association between the Val158Met polymorphism in the COMT gene and the cancer risk in Chinese population: OR?=?1.34, 95 %CI?=?1.04–1.73, and P?=?0.03 for AA vs. AG?+?GG; OR?=?1.39, 95 %CI?=?1.06–1.82, and P?=?0.02; OR?=?1.13, 95 %CI?=?1.01–1.27, and P?=?0.04. In the subgroup analysis by cancer types, significant association was found in the breast cancer and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The current meta-analysis confirmed that the Val158Met polymorphism in the COMT gene may be a risk factor for cancer in Chinese population. In the future, more case–control studies are needed to validate our results.     

GSTP1 Ala114Val polymorphism and colorectal cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Studies investigating the association between cytochrome glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) Ala114Val polymorphism and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk report conflicting results. The aim of this study was to quantitatively summarize the evidence for such a relationship. Two investigators independently searched the Medline, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chinese Biomedicine databases. Summary odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) for GSTP1 polymorphism and CRC were calculated in a fixed effects model (the Mantel–Haenszel method) and a random effects model (the DerSimonian and Laird method) when appropriate. The pooled ORs were performed for co-dominant model (ValVal vs. AlaAla, AlaVal vs. AlaAla), dominant model (ValVal + AlaVal vs. AlaAla), and recessive model (ValVal vs. AlaVal + AlaAla). This meta-analysis included seven case–control studies, which included 3,173 CRC cases and 3,323 controls. Overall, the variant genotypes (ValVal and AlaVal) of the Ala114Val were not associated with CRC risk when compared with the wild-type AlaAla homozygote. Similarly, no associations were found in the dominant and recessive models. When stratifying for ethnicity, Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium in controls, study sample size, and source of controls, a significantly increased risk was observed among Asians (AlaVal vs. AlaAla, OR?=?1.67, 95 % CI?=?1.08–2.59; dominant model, OR?=?1.74, 95 % CI?=?1.14–2.67). No heterogeneity or publication bias was found in the present study. This meta-analysis suggests that the GSTP1 Ala114Val polymorphism may not be associated with CRC risk, while the observed increase in risk of CRC may be due to small-study bias.     

Significant associations between X-ray repair cross-complementing group 3 genetic polymorphisms and thyroid cancer risk

Polymorphisms in X-ray cross-complementing group 3 (XRCC3) are proposed to be associated with cancer susceptibility, but previous studies on the associations between XRCC3 polymorphisms and thyroid cancer are controversial. We performed a systemic review and meta-analysis to investigate the associations of XRCC3 polymorphisms with thyroid cancer risk. We used odds ratio (OR) with 95 % confidence interval (95%CI) to assess the associations. For XRCC3 C241T polymorphism, meta-analysis of total eligible studies showed that there was no association between XRCC3 C241T polymorphism and thyroid cancer risk, but subgroup analysis in Caucasians showed that there was a significant association between XRCC3 C241T polymorphism and thyroid cancer risk (T versus C: OR?=?1.30, 95%CI 1.05–1.62, P?=?0.01; TT versus CC: OR?=?1.74, 95%CI 1.13–2.70, P?=?0.01; TT versus CC/CT: OR?=?1.74, 95%CI 1.16–2.60, P?=?0.007). For XRCC3 A17893G polymorphism, meta-analysis of total eligible studies showed that there was an obvious association between XRCC3 A17893G polymorphism and thyroid cancer risk (GG versus AA/AG: OR?=?0.57, 95%CI 0.35–0.93, P?=?0.02), but subgroup analysis by ethnicity only identify the significant association in Asians. In summary, the meta-analysis suggests that there are significant associations of XRCC3 polymorphisms with thyroid cancer risk. Besides, more studies with large sample sizes are needed to further assess the associations above.     

Association between GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and glioma risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) gene Ile105Val polymorphism has been suggested to be involved in the development of glioma. However, the results from the studies regarding the association between GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and glioma risk have been inconsistent. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis to investigate this association. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (95 %CIs) were calculated using random or fixed effects model. Nine studies with 2,078 cases and 3,970 controls were finally included into this meta-analysis. The results suggested there was no association between GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and glioma risk under recessive model (OR?=?1.138, 95 %CI?=?0.966–1.341, P _{heterogeneity}?=?0.088, P?=?0.123). Subgroup analyses by ethnicity showed there was also no association between GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and glioma risk in mixed populations under recessive model (OR?=?1.199, 95 %CI?=?0.928–1.549, P _{heterogeneity}?=?0.060, P?=?0.166) and Caucasian populations(OR?=?1.097, 95 %CI?=?0.885–1.360, P _{heterogeneity}?=?0.186, P?=?0.398). In conclusion, the meta-analysis suggests that there is no association between GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and glioma risk. However, more well-designed and larger studies are needed to further assess this association.     

Glutathione S-transferase P1 Ile105Val polymorphism contributes to increased risk of gastric cancer in East Asians

Glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) is an important enzyme playing critical roles in the phase II detoxification pathway. There were many studies investigating the association between GSTP1 gene Ile105Val polymorphism and gastric cancer risk, but studies from East Asians reported inconsistent findings. We performed a meta-analysis to investigate the association in East Asians. Published literature from PubMed and Chinese Biomedical Literature databases were searched for eligible publications. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (95 %CIs) were calculated using random or fixed-effect model according the between-study heterogeneity. A total of 12 studies with 2,552 cases and 5,474 controls were finally included into the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis of those 12 studies showed that there was an obvious association between GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and gastric cancer risk in East Asians under three genetic models (for valine vs. isoleucine, OR?=?1.32, 95 %CI 1.05–1.66, P?=?0.015; for ValVal vs. IleIle, OR?=?2.00, 95 %CI 1.34–2.98, P?=?0.001; for the recessive model, OR?=?1.96, 95 %CI 1.35–2.83, P?<?0.001). Sensitivity analysis by removing one study at a time suggested the pooled results were stable under the three genetic models above. There was no risk of publication bias. In conclusion, the meta-analysis suggests that there is a strong evidence for the association between GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and increased risk of gastric cancer in East Asians and contributes to increased risk of gastric cancer in East Asians.     

Association between X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 Arg194Trp polymorphism and prostate cancer risk

X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) plays an important role in the maintenance of the genomic integrity. Previous studies on the association between XRCC1 Arg194Trp polymorphism and prostate cancer risk reported conflicting results. To get a more precise assessment of the association between XRCC1 Arg194Trp polymorphism and prostate cancer risk, we performed a meta-analysis of previously published studies. Eligible studies were searched in PubMed, Embase, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. Nine studies with a total of 5,407 subjects were finally included into the meta-analysis. Odds ratio (OR) with 95 % confidence interval (95 %CI) was used to assess the association. Overall, there was no obvious association between XRCC1 Arg194Trp polymorphism and prostate cancer risk (Trp vs. Arg: OR?=?1.02, 95 %CI 0.84–1.25, P?=?0.824; TrpTrp vs. ArgArg: OR?=?1.17, 95 %CI 0.83–1.66, P?=?0.374; TrpTrp/ArgTrp vs. ArgArg: OR?=?1.00, 95 %CI 0.79–1.28, P?=?0.990; TrpTrp vs. ArgArg/ArgTrp: OR?=?1.20, 95 %CI 0.85–1.68, P?=?0.301). Subgroup analysis according to ethnicity also detected no significant association in both Asians and Caucasians. In conclusion, the meta-analysis suggests that there is no obvious association between XRCC1 Arg194Trp polymorphism and prostate cancer risk.     

Quantitative synthesis of the association between the cytochrome P450 1A1 Ile462Val polymorphism and prostate cancer risk

The association between the cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) Ile462Val polymorphism and prostate cancer risk remains inconclusive owing to the conflicting findings from previous studies. To get a more precise estimate of the possible association, we performed the present meta-analysis. We searched the PUBMED, EMBASE, and Wanfang databases for the studies which met the inclusion criteria. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with corresponding 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) was used to estimate the association between CYP1A1 Ile462Val polymorphism and prostate cancer risk. A total of 13 studies with 2,350 cases and 2,992 controls were included in the meta-analysis. The results indicated that there was an obvious association between CYP1A1 Ile462Val polymorphism and increased risk of prostate cancer (for Val versus Ile: OR?=?1.27, 95 % CI 1.13–1.43, P?<?0.001; for ValVal versus IleIle: OR?=?1.51, 95 % CI 1.14–2.01, P?=?0.004; for ValVal?+?ValIle versus IleIle: OR?=?1.31, 95 % CI 1.14–1.51, P?<?0.001; for ValVal versus IleIle + ValIle: OR?=?1.38, 95 % CI 1.05–1.81, P?=?0.020). Subgroup analyses by ethnicity suggested that CYP1A1 Ile462Val polymorphism was associated with prostate cancer risk in Asians but not in Caucasians. This meta-analysis suggests that there is an association between CYP1A1 Ile462Val polymorphism and increased risk of prostate cancer. More studies with large sample are needed to further assess the association in Caucasians.     

Genetic polymorphisms in glutathione S-transferases P1 (GSTP1) Ile105Val and prostate cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Numerous epidemiological studies have evaluated the association between the glutathione S-transferases P1 (GSTP1) Ile105Val polymorphisms and prostate cancer (PCa) risk. However, these studies have yielded conflicting results. A comprehensive search was conducted through researching MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE, and a total of 13 studies including 3,227 cases and 3,945 controls were identified. A meta-analysis was performed to obtain a summary of estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) of GSTP1 polymorphisms for PCa, with attention to study quality and publication bias. The GSTP1 Ile158Val variant genotypes are less associated with increased risk of PCa for the homozygote model (Val/Val vs Ile/Ile: OR?=?1.42; I ²? =?63.7 %; 95 % CI?=?1.02–1.97) and the recessive model (OR?=?1.41; I ²? =?45.5 %; 95 % CI?=?1.10–1.80). However, no associations were detected for other genetic models. In the stratified analysis by ethnicity, significant associations between GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and PCa risk were also found among Caucasians for Val/Val vs Ile/Ile comparison (OR?=?1.22; I ²? =?0.0 %; 95 % CI?=?1.02–1.47) and for the recessive model (OR?=?1.26; I ²? =?0.0 %; 95 % CI?=?1.06–1.49), while there were no associations found for other genetic models. However, no associations were found in Asians and African-Americans for all genetic models when stratified by ethnicity. In conclusion, our meta-analysis provides evidence that GSTP1 Ile105Val gene polymorphisms contributed to PCa susceptibility.     

MDM2 SNP309 is an ethnicity-dependent risk factor for digestive tract cancers

Published data on the relationship between T309G polymorphism in the murine double minute 2 (MDM2) gene and susceptibility of digestive tract cancers (DTC) are inconclusive. Thus, the aim of this study is to determine whether MDM2 T309G polymorphism is associated with the risk of diverse DTC, including esophagus, stomach, liver, bile duct, pancreas, and colorectum cancers. Relevant studies were identified up to October 1, 2013. Crude odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) were used as a measure of the strength of the association. The pooled result based on all studies showed that there was a statistically significant link between MDM2 T309G polymorphism and DTC susceptibility (T vs. G: OR?=?0.82, 95%CI?=?0.76–0.88). When stratified by race, significant associations were observed for all genetic models among Asians (especially in Chinese population), but not among Caucasians. Subgroup analyses according to tumor location indicated that the genetic variant was associated with esophageal (OR?=?0.88, 95%CI?=?0.81–0.96 for T vs. G), hepatocellular (OR?=?0.69, 95%CI?=?0.57–0.84 for T vs. G) and pancreatic cancer risk but not associated with cholangiocarcinoma or colorectum cancer susceptibility. Meanwhile, the G allele was also suggested to be associated with increased gastric cancer risk (OR?=?0.68, 95%CI?=?0.54–0.87 for TT?+?TG vs. GG for intestinal type of gastric cancer and OR?=?0.18, 95%CI?=?0.06–0.50 for TT vs. GG for Helicobacter pylori infection positive stomach cancer). Our study indicates that the MDM2 T309G polymorphism may be an ethnicity-dependent risk factor for DTC, especially for the upper gastrointestinal tract malignancies.