Association of mir-499 and mir-149 Polymorphisms with Cancer Risk in the Chinese Population: Evidence from Published Studies

Meta-analyses have shown that microRNA polymorphisms have variable effects in different population. Yet,no meta-analysis investigated the association of two common polymorphisms of miRNA, mir-499 rs3746444polymorphism and mir-149 rs2292832 polymorphism, with cancer risk in the Chinese population. We searchedthe PubMed, Web of Knowledge, MEDLINE, CNKI databases, as well as Cochrane library, updated on December31, 2012 for assays regarding cancer risk association with these two common polymorphisms in the presentmeta-analysis. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to explore the strengthof associations. The results showed that rs3746444 polymorphism was associated with increased cancer risk(dominant model: GG/AG vs. AA: OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.14-1.80; recessive model: GG vs. AG/AA: OR = 1.54,95% CI: 1.04-2.30; homozygote model: GG vs. AA: OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.10-2.60; heterozygote model: AG vs.AA: OR = 1. 35, 95% CI: 1.09-1.67), and rs3746444 was associated with liver cancer in the subgroup of cancertypes. For the rs2292832 polymorphism, the results showed no significant risk association in both overall pooledanalysis and subgroup of cancer types, smoking status, gender and tea drinking status in the Chinese population.This meta-analysis suggested that the rs3746444 GG genotype is associated with increased cancer risk, especiallyliver cancer, while the rs2292832 polymorphism showed no association with cancer risk in Chinese.