Exploration of the association between FOXE1 gene polymorphism and differentiated thyroid cancer: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Several association analyses and linkage researches indicated that inherited genetic variations effectively influence differentiated thyroid carcinogenesis. METHODS: The results from 15 published studies on differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) were combined. The genetic model included rs965513, rs944289 and rs1867277. Meta-analyses were performed and cochran’s χ(2) based Q-statistic and I(2) test were performed to assess heterogeneity using STATA software. RESULTS: Significant results were noticed for rs965513(Odds Ratio(OR) = 1.162(1.117, 1.208)), rs944289(OR = 1.082(1.035, 1.131)) and rs1867277(OR = 1.415(1.324, 1.512)). In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, rs965513 polymorphism conferred that risk of Caucasians (OR = 1.168(1.122, 1.215)) was more than that of East Asians of 1.35 (OR = 0.897(0.680, 1.193)). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis revealed that common variations of FOXE1 (rs965513, rs944289 and rs1867277) were risk factors associated with increased DTC susceptibility.