Association of the CXCL12 rs1801157 Polymorphism with Breast Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Oncology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The chemokine CXCL12 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12) and its receptor CXCR4 play crucial roles in cancer cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis.
• The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1801157 in the CXCL12 gene has been investigated for its association with various cancers, including breast cancer, but findings remain inconsistent.

Approach:

• A comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted by systematically searching multiple databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI) for studies published up to February 1, 2023.
• Ten studies comprising 2093 breast cancer cases and 2302 controls were included to evaluate the association between the CXCL12 rs1801157 polymorphism and breast cancer risk.

Key Points:

• The meta-analysis revealed a significant association between the CXCL12 rs1801157 polymorphism and increased breast cancer risk under the homozygote genetic model (AA vs. GG, OR=1.350, p=0.019).
• Further stratification by ethnicity indicated that this association is significant specifically in Caucasian women, but not in Asian or mixed populations.
• The findings suggest a potential role of the CXCL12 rs1801157 polymorphism in breast cancer susceptibility, with ethnic-specific variations.

Conclusions:

• This meta-analysis provides evidence supporting the link between the CXCL12 rs1801157 polymorphism and breast cancer risk, especially in Caucasian populations.
• The results highlight the importance of considering genetic variations like CXCL12 rs1801157 in understanding breast cancer etiology.
• Larger, well-designed prospective studies are recommended to validate these findings and elucidate the precise mechanisms involved.