TCF7L2 rs12255372 (G>T) polymorphism contributes to breast carcinogenesis: evidence from a meta-analysis

Studies on the association between the TCF7L2 rs12255372 polymorphism and breast cancer risk have reported conflicting results. To characterize the relationship between this polymorphism and breast cancer risk, we conducted a comprehensive literature search for relevant studies and performed a meta-analysis. A total of four studies including 5280 cases and 6026 controls were eligible for our analysis. Overall, we did find that this polymorphism correlates with breast cancer risk [TT versus GG: odds ratio (OR)=1.19, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.02-1.40; GT versus GG: OR=1.10, 95% CI=1.01-1.19; T versus G: OR=1.12, 95% CI=1.05-1.19]. Furthermore, in the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, we did also find that this polymorphism associated with an increased breast cancer risk in white individuals (T versus G: OR=1.11, 95% CI=1.04-1.18). In summary, this meta-analysis suggests that the rs12255372 T allele is a low-penetrant risk factor for breast carcinogenesis. In the future, larger-scale and more well-designed studies based on homogeneous breast cancer patients are needed to validate our findings, especially in Asians.