Several studies have evaluated the association of miR-146a C/G with head and neck cancer (HNC) susceptibility, and overall cancer risk, but with inconclusive outcomes. To drive a more precise estimation, we carried out this meta-analysis. The literature was searched from MEDLINE (mainly PubMed), Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases to identify eligible studies. A total of 89 studies were included. The results showed that miR-146a C/G was significantly associated with increased HNC risk in dominant model (I2 =15.6%, Pheterogeneity=0.282, odds ratio (OR) =1.088, 95% confidence interval (CI) =1.002–1.182, P=0.044). However, no cancer risk was detected under all genetic models. By further stratified analysis, we found that rs4919510 mutation contributed to the risk of HNC amongst Asians under homozygote model (I2 =0, Pheterogeneity=0.541, OR =1.189, 95% CI =1.025–1.378, P=0.022), and dominant model (I2 =0, Pheterogeneity=0.959, OR =1.155, 95% CI =1.016–1.312, P=0.028). Simultaneously, in the stratified analysis by source of controls, a significantly increased cancer risk amongst population-based studies was found under homozygote model, dominant model, recessive model, and allele comparison model. However, no significant association was found in the stratified analysis by ethnicity and source of control. The results indicated that miR-146a C/G polymorphism may contribute to the increased HNC susceptibility and could be a promising target to forecast cancer risk for clinical practice. However, no significant association was found in subgroup analysis by ethnicity and source of control. To further confirm these results, well-designed large-scale case–control studies are needed in the future.
The association of the CYP1A1 Ile462Val polymorphism with head and neck cancer risk: evidence based on a cumulative meta-analysis
