| Abstrakt: |
A single nucleotide polymorphism, −160C→A, has been identified in the promoter region of the E-cadherin gene and has been shown to alter its transcriptional activity. To assess susceptibility of −160A allele carriers to seven types of cancers, the authors conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis, up to November 2006, of 26 case-control studies comprising 7,042 cases and 7,011 controls. Pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated by using the random-effects model. Publication bias, subgroup, and sensitivity analyses were also performed, which showed that −160A allele carriers, compared with noncarriers, had about a 17–19% increased risk of several invasive/metastatic tumors. Analyses of various types of cancers revealed that, in Europeans, the −160AA homozygote was associated with an increased risk of urothelial cancer, carriers of −160A were at increased risk of lung and prostate cancers, and carriers of −160A with gastric cancer were found to suffer a significantly increased risk, whereas their Asian counterparts seemed to be tolerant. No evidence was found that the −160A allele predisposed its carriers to breast, colorectal, or esophageal cancers. These findings indicate that −160A of the E-cadherin gene is emerging as a low-penetrance tumor susceptibility allele for the development of gastric, lung, prostate, and urothelial cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
