Association between Polymorphisms of ERCC5 Gene and Susceptibility to Gastric Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: several epidemiological studies have suggested that polymorphisms of the Excision Repair Cross Complementing Group-5 (ERCC5) gene might be related to gastric cancer risk; however, the results have been inconsistent or controversial. Therefore, we have performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify the association between the ERCC5 gene polymorphisms and gastric cancer risk. Materials and Methods: An electronic search was conducted of several databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for articles that describe the association between polymorphisms of the ERCC5 gene and susceptibility of gastric cancer. Results: A total of 33 case control studies in 15 publications were included in the present meta-analysis. There were significant associations between gastric cancer susceptibility and ERCC5 gene rs751402 C>T (T vs. C: OR = 1.166, 95% C = 1.066-1.274, p= 0.001; TT vs. CC: OR = 0.723, 95% CI = 0.587-0.890, p = 0.002; TT+TC vs. CC: OR = 0.853, 95% CI = 0.757-0.961, p = 0.009; TT vs. TC+CC: OR = 0.793, 95% CI = 0.659-0.955, p = 0.015), rs2296147 T>C (C vs. T: OR = 1.268, 95% C = 1.049-1.532, p= 0.014), rs873601 G>A polymorphisms (A vs. G, OR = 1.087, 95% C = 1.021-1.159, p= 0.010; AA vs. GG, OR = 1.184, 95% CI = 1.043-1.343, p = 0.009, AA vs. AG+GG, OR = 1.156, 95% CI = 1.040-1.284, p = 0.007), but not rs2094258 C>T and rs1047768 T>C. Conclusion: the current meta-analysis demonstrates that rs751402 C>T, rs2296147 T>C, and rs873601 G>A polymorphisms of ERCC5 gene are associated with the susceptibility of gastric cancer.