ESR2 polymorphisms on prostate cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis

This meta-analysis was performed to address the association of 2 ESR2 gene polymorphisms (rs1256049 and rs4986938) with susceptibility to cancer. METHODS: An extensive literature search for eligible candidate gene studies published before May 10, 2022, was conducted in PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science. The search strategy was as follows: (ESR2 OR ERβ OR ER beta OR estrogen receptor beta) AND (polymorphism OR mutation OR variation OR SNP OR genotype) AND (PCa OR PC OR prostate cancer). Potential sources of heterogeneity were sought out via trial sequential analysis, subgroup, and sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Overall, a total of 10 articles involving 18,064 cases and 19,556 controls for 2 polymorphisms of the ESR2 gene were enrolled. In the stratified analysis of rs1256049, we found that Caucasians might be correlated with an increased risk of prostate cancer (PCa), while less susceptibility was found in Asians. We observed that rs4986938 was not associated with PCa risk. CONCLUSION: ESR2 rs1256049 polymorphism is associated with a higher risk of PCa in the Caucasian population and a lower risk of PCa in the Asian population.