Colorectal cancer and the KIR genes in the human genome: A meta-analysis

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common types of inflammation-based cancers and is occurred due to growth and spread of cancer cells in colon and/or rectum. Previously genetic association of cell cycle genes, both proto-oncogenes and the tumor suppressors has been proved. But there were few studies about association of immune related genes such as killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs). Thus we intend to perform a meta-analysis to find the association of different genes of KIR and susceptibility to be affected by colorectal cancer. The overall population of the four studies investigated in our meta-analysis was 953 individuals (470 individuals with colorectal cancer and 483 individuals in control groups). After the analyses, we concluded that colorectal cancer is affected by KIR2DS5 and also there were no protecting gene. This result shows the inflammatory basis of this cancer. In other words, in contrast to leukemia and blood cancers, colorectal cancers seem to be affected by hyper activity of natural killer-cells (NKs). Whys and therefore of this paradox, is suggested to be investigated further.