No significant association between the XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism and lung cancer risk: a meta-analysis

The development of lung cancer is significantly associated with genetic susceptibility. Findings from previous individual studies regarding the effect of X-ray repair cross-complementing group 3 Thr241Met (XRCC3 Thr241Met) polymorphism on lung cancer risk remained conflicting and inconclusive. Thus, a meta-analysis of previous relevant studies was performed to estimate this effect more precisely and to shed some light on the contradictory findings. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) with the corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) were calculated to assess the correlation of XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism with lung cancer susceptibility. Stratified analysis according to ethnicity and sensitivity analysis was both conducted for further confirmation. Seventeen independent case-control studies involving 12,610 subjects totally were included into this meta-analysis. Overall, meta-analysis of total included studies showed that the XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism was not associated with risk of lung cancer in all genetic contrast models (OR Met allele vs. Thr allele = 1.01, 95 % CI 0.91-1.13, P OR = 0.810; OR Met/Met vs. Thr/Thr = 1.16, 95 % CI 0.88-1.54, P OR = 0.281; OR Thr/Met vs. Thr/Thr = 0.95, 95 % CI 0.86-1.04, P OR = 0.240; OR Met/Met + Thr/Met vs. Thr/Thr = 0.97, 95 % CI 0.89-1.06, P OR = 0.538; OR Met/Met vs. Thr/Thr + Thr/Met = 1.18, 95 % CI 0.91-1.52, P OR = 0.204). Stratified analyses in Asians and Caucasians showed similar results. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability and reliability of the findings. This meta-analysis of all available data did not support any appreciable association between the XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism and lung cancer risk in any populations.