Genetic polymorphisms in miRNAs and susceptibility to colorectal cancer.

The associations of SNPs rs11614913, rs2292832, and rs2910164 in miRNAs have been exploded in several independent studies and meta-analyses, but the small sample sizes and incomplete data precluded well-defined roles of the miRNA SNPs in the development of CRC. The aim of this study was to combine all available data to comprehensively assess the unclear association. A meta-analysis of nine studies included 2,209 cancers and 2,803 controls, 2,349 cases and 2,663 controls, and 1,409 cases and 1,115 controls for SNP rs11614913, SNP rs2910164, and SNP rs2292832, respectively. The true effect size was estimated by an odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) with the fixed effects model. For SNP rs11614913, the risk of CRC was more pronounced in the C allele carriers as compared with the T allele carriers among the subjects of Asian decent (CC vs. TT: OR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.01-1.38, P = 0.734; CC vs. TC + TT: OR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.02-1.36, P = 0.573; C vs. T: OR = 1.08, 95% CI 1.00-1.17, P = 0.775). SNP rs2910164 and SNP rs2292832 were not found to be significantly associated with CRC risk. This meta-analysis reveals that SNP rs11614913, but not SNP rs2910164 and SNP rs2292832, may contribute to susceptibility to CRC in an Asian-specific manner.