Single nucleotide polymorphism 6q25.1 rs2046210 and increased risk of breast cancer.

The onset and development of breast cancer (BC) are influenced by many factors, including the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2046210 at 6q25.1. However, studies of the potential association between rs2046210 at 6q25.1 and risk of BC have given inconsistent results. We performed a meta-analysis to address this controversy. PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science were systematically searched to identify relevant studies. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the strength of the association between this SNP and risk of BC. A total of 14 studies are included in the meta-analysis, involving 123,085 cases and 120,761 controls. The A-allele, AA/GA, and AA genotypes were significantly associated with increased risk of BC (A-allele vs. G-allele: OR = 1.20, 95%CI = 1.15-1.25, P for heterogeneity < 0.0001; AA/GA vs. GG: OR = 1.22, 95%CI = 1.16-1.28, P for heterogeneity < 0.0001; AA vs. GA/GG: OR = 1.18, 95%CI = 1.13-1.24, P for heterogeneity = 0.064). In further stratified analysis by ethnicity, the elevated risks were found in Europeans and Asians, while there was no significant association detected in African population. In the subgroup analysis based on sample size and source of control, significant results were observed in all the subgroups. There was evidence of heterogeneity (P < 0.10), which largely disappeared after stratification by ethnicity. In summary, this meta-analysis suggests the participation of rs2046210 at 6q25.1 in the susceptibility for BC, especially in Europeans and Asians.