No Association Between MTHFR A1298C Gene Polymorphism and Head and Neck Cancer Risk: A Meta-analysis Based on 9,952 Subjects

Yu-Ming Niu,Xiao-Bing Ni,Wei-Dong Leng,Xian-Tao Zeng,Hui Li,Ming Shen,Ming-Yue Wu,Juan Zhou

doi:10.7314/apjcp.2012.13.8.3943

Abstract

Findings for associations between the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) A1298C gene polymorphism and head and neck cancer risk have been conflicting. We therefore performed a meta-analysis to derive a more precise relationship. Ten published case-control studies were collected and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the association between MTHFR A1298C polymorphism and head and neck cancer risk. Sensitivity analysis and publication bias assessment also were performed to guarantee the statistical power. Overall, no significant association between MTHFR A1298C polymorphism and head and neck cancer risk was found in this meta-analysis (C vs. A: OR=1.04, 95%CI=0.87- 1.25, P=0.668, P heterogeneity<0.001; CC vs. AA: OR=1.07, 95%CI=0.70-1.65, P=0.748, P heterogeneity<0.001; AC vs. AA: OR=1.06, 95%CI=0.88-1.27, P=0.565, P heterogeneity<0.001; CC+AC vs. AA: OR=1.06, 95%CI=0.86-1.30, P=0.571, P heterogeneity<0.001; CC vs. AA+AC: OR=1.02, 95%CI=0.69-1.52, P=0.910, P heterogeneity<0.001). Similar results were also been found in succeeding analysis of HWE and stratified analysis of ethnicity. In conclusion, our meta-analysis demonstrates that MTHFR A1298C polymorphism may not be a risk factor for developing head and neck cancer.

Highlights

Head and neck cancer is one of the most prevalence malignant diseases worldwide, there were 633,000 new cases and 355,000 deaths in 2008, especially in SouthCentral Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and the lowest in Africa (Jemal et al, 2011)
In conclusion, our meta-analysis demonstrates that methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) A1298C polymorphism may not be a risk factor for developing head and neck cancer
Study characteristic Ten related case-control studies involved 3534 cases and 6418 controls on the relationship between MTHFR A1298C polymorphism and head and neck cancer risk were included in this meta-analysis (Capaccio et al, 2005; Neumann et al, 2005; Galbiatti et al, 2012; Hung et al, 2007; Suzuki et al, 2007; Ni et al, 2008; Cao et al, 2010; Kruszyna et al, 2010; Sailasree et al, 2011; Tsai et al, 2011)

Summary

Introduction

Head and neck cancer is one of the most prevalence malignant diseases worldwide, there were 633,000 new cases and 355,000 deaths in 2008, especially in SouthCentral Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and the lowest in Africa (Jemal et al, 2011). Head and neck cancer is a multifactorial disease (Ragin et al, 2007). MTHFR is a key enzymein folate metabolism, irreversibly catalyzing the 5, 10-methylenetetrahydrofolate to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate , which is the cosubstrate for transmethylation from homocysteine to methionine. The low levels of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate would lead to increased incorporation of uracil into DNA in place of thymine and leaded to the increased ratio of point mutations and DNA breakage (Blount et al, 1997). All these factors will play an important role during the cancer development

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