Telomerase reverse transcriptase rs2736098 polymorphism is associated with lung cancer: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: A meta-analysis was conducted to determine whether telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) rs2736098 polymorphism was related to the incidence of lung cancer. METHODS: We systematically searched the following three electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), for relevant articles. Statistical analysis was performed using the odds ratio (OR) and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Seven articles involving 3836 healthy controls and 3637 patients were included in this meta-analysis. TERT rs2736098 polymorphism was significantly related to lung cancer incidence (AA vs. GG: OR=1.83, 95% CI=1.58–2.12; AG vs. GG: OR=1.21, 95% CI=1.10–1.34; Dominant model: OR=1.33, 95% CI=1.22–1.46; Recessive model: OR=1.66, 95% CI=1.44–1.90). Moreover, this polymorphism was found to be correlated with the susceptibility to lung cancer when studies were stratified based on the sample size and the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. CONCLUSION: The present findings indicate that the TERT rs2736098 polymorphism may be a risk factor for the development of lung cancer.