Considerable studies have investigated the associations between MDM4 gene polymorphisms and cancer risk recently, but with contradictory results. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the associations between MDM4 gene polymorphisms and cancer risk. Relevant studies were identified by a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and CNKI databases. Crude odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to describe the strength of the associations. Fifty-six studies published in 11 publications involving 18,910 cases and 51,609 controls were included in this meta-analysis. Five MDM4 gene polymorphisms were evaluated: rs4245739, rs1563828, rs11801299, rs10900598, and rs1380576. Our analyses suggested that the rs4245739 polymorphism was significantly associated with overall cancer risk. Furthermore, stratification analyses of ethnicity indicated that rs4245739 decreased the risk of cancer among the Asian population, and stratification analyses of smoking status indicated that rs4245739 decreased the risk of cancer among nonsmokers. However, stratification analyses of cancer type and sex suggested that rs4245739 was not related to cancer risk. There were no associations of rs1563828, rs11801299, rs10900598, or rs1380576 with overall cancer risk. In conclusion, our analyses indicated that rs4245739 polymorphism in the MDM4 gene may play an important role in the etiology of cancer.
Keywords: MDM4; cancer; meta-analysis; single nucleotide polymorphisms.