Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase C677T and A1298C Polymorphisms and Gastric Cancer: A Meta-analysis

Dong, Xingli; Wu, Jianing; Liang, Peng; Li, Jihong; Yuan, Lijie; Liu, Xinghan

doi:10.1016/j.arcmed.2010.01.001

« Previous Next »Archives of Medical Research
Volume 41, Issue 2 , Pages 125-133, February 2010

Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase C677T and A1298C Polymorphisms and Gastric Cancer: A Meta-analysis

Xingli Dong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Biopharmaceutical Key Laboratory of Heilongjiang Province-Incubator of State Key Laboratory, Harbin, China
- These authors contributed equally to this work.
Jianing Wu
- Neurosurgery Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- These authors contributed equally to this work.
Peng Liang
- Neurosurgery Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
Jihong Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Biopharmaceutical Key Laboratory of Heilongjiang Province-Incubator of State Key Laboratory, Harbin, China
Lijie Yuan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Biopharmaceutical Key Laboratory of Heilongjiang Province-Incubator of State Key Laboratory, Harbin, China
Xinghan Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Biopharmaceutical Key Laboratory of Heilongjiang Province-Incubator of State Key Laboratory, Harbin, China
- Address reprint requests to: Xinghan Liu, Biopharmaceutical Key Laboratory of Heilongjiang Province-Incubator of State Key Laboratory, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150081, China; Phone: 86-451-86676570; FAX: 86-451-86677243

Received 16 October 2009; accepted 16 December 2009. published online 15 March 2010.

(ARCMED-D-09-00492)

Background and Aims

Case/control studies that investigated the association between gastric cancer and the MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms so far have provided controversial results. To clarify the effect of MTHFR polymorphisms on the risk of gastric cancer, a meta-analysis was performed.

Methods

We performed a computerized search of the PubMed database for relevant reports before September 2009. No language restrictions were added. The associated literature was acquired through a deliberate retrieval strategy and selected based on the established inclusion criteria for publications.

Results

The studies provided 4070/6462 cases/controls for C677T and 1923/3561 cases/controls for A1298C. There was significant heterogeneity (p = 0.015, I² = 44.0%) among the 22 studies, and the RE model showed that the C677T allele T was associated with a 17.3% increased risk of gastric cancer compared with the allele C (RE OR = 1.173 [1.051–1.274]). Results from the subgroup analysis showed an increased risk in Asians (fixed-effect, FE OR 1.277 [1.179–1.382]), but not in Caucasians (random-effect, RE OR 1.194 [0.866–1.646]). The contrast of homozygotes (TT vs. CC) produced significant results in Asians (FE OR 1.611 [1.366–1.901]), whereas, in Caucasians, it was not significant (RE OR 1.385 [0.754–2.544]). In regard to the A1298C polymorphism, there was no heterogeneity among the 11 studies comparing the C vs. the A allele (p = 0.352, I² = 9.7%), but no significant association was detected.

Conclusions

The evidence from our meta-analysis supports that TT genotype of MTHFR C677T polymorphism contributes to susceptibility to gastric cancer, but no significant association was detected for CC genotype of MTHFR A1298C.

Key Words: A1298C, C677T, Gastric cancer, Meta-analysis, MTHFR