Objective: The relationship between microRNA (miR-146a) rs2910164G/C polymorphism and gastrointestinal cancer susceptibility is not consistent with each other of the published articles. The aim of this meta-analysis was to acquire a more precise effect of the association between the miR-146a rs2910164 G/C polymorphism and gastrointestinal cancer.
Materials and methods: Through searching of the MedLine, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases. Case-control or cohort studies about the relationship between miR-146a rs2910164 G/C polymorphism and gastrointestinal cancer susceptibility were screened and included in this meta-analysis. Quantitative data synthesis was conducted for the associations of miR-146a rs2910164 G/C polymorphism and gastrointestinal cancer risk by statistical software STATA-11.0.
Results: Ten studies including 6473 gastrointestinal cancer patients and 7923 controls were identified and included in this meta-analysis. For recessive genetic model (CC vs. CG + GG), people with CG or GG is associated with the susceptibility of gastrointestinal cancer compared with genotype of CC (R = 0.73, 5% confidence interval [CI]: 0.55-0.97, [P = 0.03]); But for dominant model (CC + CG vs. GG) and homozygous model (CC vs. GG), no association of the miR-146a rs2910164G/C polymorphism and gastrointestinal cancer susceptibility were found (dominant: Odds ratio [OR] =0.94, 95% CI: 0.82-1.03, [P = 0.37]; homozygous: OR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.71-1.03, [P = 0.10]). Sub-group analysis, for homozygous model, people with GG genotype had increased risk of developing colorectal cancer (OR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.64-0.93, [P = 0.008]).
Conclusion: No significant association between miR-146a rs2910164G/C polymorphism and gastrointestinal cancer susceptibility was found in this meta-analysis. But for homozygous model, people with GG genotype may have increased risk of developing colorectal cancer.