MTHFR C677T polymorphism and ovarian cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Many studies have investigated possible association between the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism and ovarian cancer risk, but the impact is still unclear owing to the obvious inconsistencies. This study was performed to quantify the strength of the association with a meta- analysis.

We searched the PubMed, Embase, and CNKI databases for studies relating the association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and ovarian cancer risk and estimated summary odds ratios (ORs) with confidence intervals (CIs) for assessment.

Finally, eight studies with a total of 3,379 ovarian cancer cases and 4,078 controls were included into this meta-analysis. Overall the showed that MTHFR C677T polymorphism was not associated with ovarian cancer risk under all genetic models (ORT versus C = 1.03, 95%CI 0.90-1.18; ORTT versus CC = 1.08, 95%CI 0.79-1.47; ORTT versus TC+CC = 1.05, 95%CI 0.80-1.37; ORTT +TC versus CC = 1.05, 95%CI 0.86-1.21). Meta-analyses of studies with confirmation of HWE also showed no significant association. Subgroup analyses by ethnicity showed there was no significant association in the Caucasians but MTHFR C677T polymorphic variant T contributed to increased risk of ovarian cancer in East Asians. No evidence of publication bias was observed.

Meta-analyses of available data show that MTHFR C677T polymorphism is not associated with ovarian cancer risk in Caucasians, but the MTHFR polymorphic variant T may contribute to increased risk in East Asians.