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MiR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism increases risk of gastric cancer: a meta-analysis
Wen-Qun Xie1, Shi-Yun Tan1, Xiao-Fan Wang1
1Wen-Qun Xie, Shi-Yun Tan, Xiao-Fan Wang, Department of Gastroenterology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, Hubei Province, China.
Aim:
To systematically evaluate the association between the miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism and susceptibility to gastric cancer.
Methods:
A comprehensive electronic search was conducted for articles published up until January 27, 2014 in Medline (PubMed), Excerpta Medica Database (Embase), the Cochrane Library and Google Scholar. Only case-control studies published in English that evaluated the association between the miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism and susceptibility to gastric cancer were included. Furthermore, only studies with sufficient data allowing for calculation of odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were included. These values were used in the quantitative synthesis to assess the strength of the association between the miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism and risk of gastric cancer.
Results:
The database search identified 1002 eligible studies, of which seven (comprising 4112 cases and 5811 controls) were included for the meta-analysis. The results indicate that miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism is more likely to be associated with gastric cancer risk. In the overall analysis, a significantly increased cancer risk was found in the heterozygote (GG vs GC) comparison (OR = 1.14, 95%CI: 1.03-1.27; P = 0.01 for pooled OR). In the ethnicity subgroup analysis, a similar result was found among Caucasians (OR = 1.36, 95%CI: 1.01-1.85; P = 0.04 for pooled OR). In the stratified analysis by quality of studies, a significantly increased cancer risk was found in the heterozygote comparison among high quality studies (OR = 1.12, 95%CI: 1.01-1.26; P = 0.04 for pooled OR). When stratified on the basis of sample size, a significantly increased cancer risk was found among small sample size subgroups for the allelic (G vs C: OR = 1.16, 95%CI: 1.03-1.30; P = 0.01), homozygote (GG vs CC: OR = 1.33, 95%CI: 1.03-1.73; P = 0.03) and recessive model (GG vs GC + CC: OR = 0.05, 95%CI: 0.00-0.10; P = 0.03) comparisons.
Conclusion:
The miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism is associated with increased gastric cancer risk, particularly evident in high quality studies with small sample sized Caucasian populations.
Insights
The miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism is linked to a higher risk of gastric cancer. This association is particularly strong in high-quality studies involving Caucasian populations with smaller sample sizes.
Area of Science:
- Genetics and Molecular Biology
- Oncology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Gastric cancer remains a significant global health concern.
- MicroRNA (miR)-146a plays a role in cellular processes, and its genetic variations may influence cancer susceptibility.
- The rs2910164 polymorphism in miR-146a has been investigated for its potential link to various cancers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically evaluate the association between the miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism and the risk of developing gastric cancer.
- To synthesize existing evidence through a meta-analysis of case-control studies.
- To explore potential modifying factors such as ethnicity and study quality.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was performed across major databases (Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar) up to January 2014.
- Included were English-language case-control studies assessing the miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism and gastric cancer susceptibility.
- Quantitative synthesis using odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) was employed to assess the association.
Main Results:
- Seven case-control studies involving 4112 cases and 5811 controls were included in the meta-analysis.
- The miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer (overall heterozygote comparison: OR = 1.14, 95%CI: 1.03-1.27).
- Significant associations were observed in Caucasian populations, high-quality studies, and analyses stratified by sample size (allelic, homozygote, and recessive models).
Conclusions:
- The miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism is associated with an elevated risk of gastric cancer.
- This association is particularly pronounced in high-quality studies with smaller sample sizes and within Caucasian populations.
- Further research may elucidate the precise mechanisms underlying this genetic association in gastric carcinogenesis.
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