title: Associations of miR-499 and miR-34b/c Polymorphisms with Susceptibility to Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Evidence-Based Evaluation.
abstract: Background. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the sixth common cancer in the world. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in microRNA genes may be associated with susceptibility to HCC. Recently, several studies have reported possible associations of SNPs miR-499 T>C rs3746444 and miR-34b/c T>C rs4938723 with the risk of HCC. However the results are inconsistent and inconclusive. In this present study, we conducted a meta-analysis to comprehensively evaluate potential associations between the two SNPs and HCC susceptibility. Methods. Through a systematic literature search, 8-case-control studies involving 5464 subjects were identified and included in this meta-analysis. The association between the two common SNPs and HCC risk was estimated by pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Our results showed no significant association between rs3746444 and susceptibility to HCC, whereas variant genotypes of rs4938723 were associated with increased HCC risk in allele frequency model and heterozygous model (C versus T, OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.01-1.23, P = 0.04; TC versus TT, OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.03-1.37, P = 0.02). Conclusions. The current evidence did not support association between rs3746444 and HCC risk. SNP rs4938723 may be associated with susceptibility to HCC. Further well-designed studies are required to clarify the relationships between the two SNPs and HCC risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China ; Jiangsu Province's Key Medical Center for Liver Surgery, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China.
authors.forename: Zhongxia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Junhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Guang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Chunping
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yitao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding