The A10389G polymorphism of ND3 gene and breast cancer: A meta-analysis

Previous studies have reported the association between A10389G polymorphism of the dehydrogenase subunit 3 (ND3) gene and breast cancer risk with conflicting results. To explore this association, we conducted a meta-analysis on 5,580 patients and 5,749 controls from eligible published studies. Six reports (11 study populations) were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with the individuals with the G allele, individuals carrying the A allele did not exhibit increased breast cancer risk. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were 1.02 and 0.79-1.31, respectively. Stratified analyses were carried out according to ethnicity and source of controls. The corresponding ORs (95% CIs) were 1.20 (0.90-1.86) for African-American, 0.47 (0.03-7.64) for European and 0.89 (0.70-1.14) for mixed populations, respectively. A single study on Asian populations yielded an OR (95% CI) of 0.56 (0.32-1.00). The corresponding ORs (95% CIs) were 1.12 (0.23-5.47) for hospital-based studies, and 0.98 (0.76-1.27) for population-based studies. Only one study did not mention the source of control, the OR (95% CI) of which was 1.80 (1.15-2.82). Results of the present study suggested that the ND3 gene A10389G polymorphism may not be an independent risk factor for breast cancer. However, additional studies should be performed to clarify the possible roles of the ND3 A10398G polymorphism in the etiology of breast cancer.