FASLG T844C polymorphism and susceptibility to breast cancer: a meta-analysis

Many studies were published to assess the association between FASLG T844C polymorphism and susceptibility to breast cancer, but the data were controversial. A meta-analysis was performed to assess the association comprehensively. We performed a comprehensive search in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science to find eligible studies. Six studies with a total of 6,784 participants were finally included into the meta-analysis. There were a total of 3,382 cases with breast cancer and 3,402 controls in those six studies. Odds ratio (OR) with 95 % confidence interval (95 %CI) was used to evaluate the association. Overall, there was an obvious association between FASLG T844C polymorphism and breast cancer under all four contrast models (for C versus T: OR = 1.26, 95 %CI 1.05-1.50, P OR = 0.011; for CC versus TT: OR = 1.42, 95 %CI 1.11-1.81, P OR = 0.005; for CC versus TT/TC: OR = 1.41, 95 %CI 1.06-1.88, P OR = 0.019; for CC/TC versus TT: OR = 1.16, 95 %CI 1.01-1.33, P OR = 0.038). In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, there was an obvious association between FASLG T844C polymorphism and breast cancer in Asians, but there was no obvious association in Caucasians. The meta-analysis suggests that there is an association between FASLG T844C polymorphism and susceptibility to breast cancer, especially in Asians.