The correlation between MDM2 SNP309 T > G polymorphism and hepatocellular carcinoma risk - A meta-analysis

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the foremost causes of fatality and morbidity globally. Chronic hepatitis, alcohol intake, and several other etiologies are allied with the advancement of HCC, which interfere with MDM2-p53 pathway to induce carcinogenesis. The association of MDM2 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and HCC has been reported in the past, however the results are inconsistent. Objective: The current study was carried out to examine the link amid MDM2 SNP and HCC. Method: A strict and rigorous inclusion criteria was followed by ignoring the studies that were published in languages other than English language and the studies where the genotypes failed to follow the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in control groups. Hence, this study is suggestively different from previous analyses confirming that all misinterpretations were avoided. All eligible studies were recovered from the following databases - EMBASE, Cochrane library, PubMed, and Google scholar. The pooled OR and 95% confidence interval was calculated using MetaGenyo web tool. Result: The existing meta-analysis comprised of a total of 13 studies. Crucial correlation was observed between HCC risk and MDM2 SNP309 T > G polymorphism (rs2279744) in the pooled meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis by ethnicity implied that Asians and Caucasians carried increased risk of HCC, while no risk was detected in the African population. Furthermore, publication bias was discovered in the current meta-analysis. Conclusion: In summary, the present meta-analysis revealed that MDM2 SNP309 T > G polymorphism elevated the vulnerability of HCC in Asian and Caucasian populations but not among the African population.