Polymorphisms in DNA repair gene XRCC1 and skin cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Oncology
• Molecular Epidemiology

Background:

• Inconsistent findings exist regarding the association between X-ray repair cross-complementing 1 (XRCC1) gene polymorphisms and skin cancer risk.
• XRCC1 plays a crucial role in DNA repair, making its polymorphisms potential risk factors for various cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a meta-analysis evaluating the association between three common XRCC1 gene polymorphisms (Arg399Gln, Arg194Trp, Arg280His) and skin cancer risk.
• To provide a more reliable estimate of the genetic association by pooling data from multiple studies.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analysis was performed on data from 10 eligible studies.
• Data included 4,801 cases and 4,960 controls for Arg399Gln, 1,026 cases and 1,089 controls for Arg194Trp, and 1,392 cases and 1,476 controls for Arg280His.
• Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using three genetic models.

Main Results:

• The XRCC1 Arg399Gln and Arg194Trp polymorphisms showed no significant association with skin cancer risk across all pooled studies and stratified analyses.
• The XRCC1 Arg280His polymorphism was significantly associated with an approximately 3.5-fold increased risk of skin cancer in homozygote codominant and recessive models.
• Genotype distributions in controls were consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.

Conclusions:

• The XRCC1 Arg399Gln and Arg194Trp polymorphisms are unlikely to be major risk factors for skin cancer.
• The XRCC1 Arg280His polymorphism may represent a significant genetic risk factor for developing skin cancer.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the specific mechanisms underlying the association between XRCC1 Arg280His and skin cancer.