Association between the NQO1 C609T polymorphism with hepatocellular carcinoma risk in the Chinese population

Associations between the NQO1 C609T polymorphism and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk are a subject of debate. We therefore performed the present meta-analysis to evaluate links with HCC susceptibility.

Several major databases (PubMed, EBSCO), the Chinese national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI) and the Wanfang database were searched for eligible studies. Crude odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to measure the strength of associations.

A total of 4 studies including 1,325 patients and 1,367 controls were identified. There was a significant association between NQO1 C609T polymorphism and HCC for all genetic models (allelic model: OR=1.45, 95%CI=1.23-1.72, p<0.01; additive model: OR=1.96, 95%CI=1.57-2.43, p<0.01; dominant model: OR=1.62, 95%CI=1.38-1.91, p<0.01; and recessive model: OR=1.53, 95%CI=1.26-1.84, p<0.01). On subgroup analysis, similarly results were identified in Asians. For Asians, the combined ORs and 95% CIs were (allelic model: OR=1.50, 95%CI=1.24-1.82, p<0.01; additive model: OR=2.11, 95%CI=1.48-3.01, p<0.01; dominant model: OR=1.69, 95%CI=1.42-2.02, p<0.01; and recessive model: OR=1.59, 95%CI=1.16-2.19, p<0.01).

The current meta-analysis suggested that the NQO1 C609T polymorphism could be a risk factor for developing HCC, particularly in the Chinese population.