Associations of five polymorphisms in the CD44 gene with cancer susceptibility in Asians

Abstract

CD44 polymorphisms have been previously associated with cancer risk. However, the results between independent studies were inconsistent. Here, a meta-analysis was performed to systematically evaluate associations between CD44 polymorphisms and cancer susceptibility. A comprehensive literature search conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases through August 10, 2016 yielded 11 eligible publications consisting of 5,788 cancer patients and 5,852 controls. Overall, odds ratios (OR) calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI) identified a significant association between CD44 polymorphism rs13347 and cancer susceptibility under all genetic models. Additionally, the minor allele of polymorphism rs11821102 was associated with a decreased susceptibility to cancer in allele contrast, dominant, and heterozygous models, while no significant association was identified for polymorphisms rs10836347, rs713330, or rs1425802. Subgroup analysis by ethnicity revealed rs13347 was significantly associated with cancer susceptibility for Chinese but not for Indians. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) between different polymorphisms varied across diverse ethnic populations. In conclusion, the results indicate that CD44 polymorphism rs13347 acts as a risk factor for cancer, especially in Chinese, while the minor allele of polymorphism rs11821102 may be associated with a decreased susceptibility to cancer. Nevertheless, further studies on a larger population covering different ethnicities are warranted.

CD44 Gene Polymorphisms as a Risk Factor for Susceptibility and Their Effect on the Clinicopathological Characteristics of Lung Adenocarcinoma in Male Patients

“…Several SNPs of CD44 have been reported to have significant correlations with the risk of various cancers in Asians [20,32]. The rs10836347 C/T polymorphism is associated with a higher risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in individuals who consume alcohol [33].…”

“…Many studies have indicated that CD44 polymorphisms are a risk factor for susceptibility to different cancers [14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. However, the role of CD44 polymorphisms in the clinicopathological characteristics of lung adenocarcinoma is still unclear.…”

The Hyaluronan/CD44 Axis: A Double-Edged Sword in Cancer

“…For example, in a cohort of 279 patients with lung adenocarcinoma, both CD44 rs713330 T/C and rs10836347 C/T polymorphisms exhibited significant associations with tumor size and invasion, independent of EGFR mutational status [77].…”