title: Possible association of NAT2 polymorphism with laryngeal cancer risk: an evidence-based meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) plays an important role in the metabolism of various potential carcinogens, which can be subdivided into rapid and slow acetylation phenotype according to the different genotypes. A number of studies have been devoted to the association of NAT2 polymorphism with susceptibility to laryngeal carcinoma; however, the results were inconsistent and inconclusive. The aim of the present study was to conduct a meta-analysis assessing the possible association of NAT2 polymorphism with laryngeal cancer risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  The relevant studies were identified through a search of PubMed, Embase, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure until February 2011 and selected on the basis of the established inclusion criteria for publications, and then a meta-analysis was performed to quantitatively summarize the association of NAT2 polymorphism with laryngeal cancer susceptibility.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven studies were included in the present meta-analysis, which described a total of 980 laryngeal cancer cases and 1,487 controls. The overall odds ratio (OR) for NAT2 slow and rapid acetylators was 0.99 (95% CI = 0.71-1.38) and 1.01 (95% CI = 0.72-1.40), respectively. When stratifying for race, the pooled ORs for NAT2 slow acetylator were 1.99 (95% CI = 1.10-3.63) in Asians and 0.85 (95% CI = 0.62-1.15) in Caucasians, and the pooled ORs for NAT2 rapid acetylator were 0.50 (95% CI = 0.28-0.91) in Asians and 1.18 (95% CI = 0.87-1.60) in Caucasians.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This meta-analysis suggested that there was overall lack of association between NAT2 polymorphism and laryngeal cancer risk; however, NAT2 slow acetylation may contribute to a risk factor for laryngeal cancer in Asians but not in Caucasians.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200080, China. yingxinjiang@126.com
authors.forename: Xin-Jiang
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.forename: Pin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Sang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase; C478900:NAT2 protein, human