Polymorphisms of TGFβ1T+869C and C-509T with Lung Cancer Risk: A Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the most common malignancy worldwide. A better understanding of the mechanisms may contribute to early diagnosis and establishment of new therapeutic targets.

OBJECTIVES: A meta-analysis was performed to investigate the association of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGFβ1) T+869C and C-509T polymorphisms with lung cancer susceptibility.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Relevant studies were identified through PubMed, Medline, Embase and CNKI databases. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) with its 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were employed to assess these associations in a fixedor random-effects model.

RESULTS: For the TGFβ1 T+869C polymorphism, 5 published case-control studies with 1167 cases and 1365 controls were included. Overall, no significant association was found between the TGFβ1 T+869C polymorphism and lung cancer susceptibility under any genetic models in the total population (p > 0.05). A subgroup analysis by ethnicity showed no significant association among the Asian population as well, while a significant association was observed in Caucasian descendants. For the TGFβ1 C-509T polymorphism, 4 studies were considered, including 1029 cases and 1133 controls. However, this polymorphism also did not increase the risk of lung cancer in all genetic comparison models.

CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis suggests that TGFβ1 T+869C and C-509T polymorphisms may not contribute to lung cancer risk in the total population, while the T+869C polymorphism may increase the risk of lung cancer in the Caucasian population. However, many studies are still required to evaluate these associations in large populations.