STAT4 gene polymorphism and risk of chronic hepatitis B-induced hepatocellular carcinoma.

STAT4 is a latent cytosolic factor that encodes a transcription factor transmitting signals stimulated by cytokines. Previous studies with different study designs in diverse ethnic populations have assessed the influence of STAT4 rs7574865 polymorphism on HBV-induced HCC risk. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects in a larger sample. The individual reports published up to Dec. 30, 2013 were systematically identified by searching the PubMed and Embase databases. To combine the OR and corresponding 95% CI, we used the fixed effects model during meta-analysis. Based on eight independent populations with a total of 5,719 cases and 6,525 controls, we found a slightly reduced risk of HBV-induced HCC in individuals with the minor T allele compared with individuals with the common G allele (T versus G: OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.82-0.91, P(Het) = 0.974). Similar reductions were also indicated in all subgroups. The combined data indicate that STAT4 rs7574865 polymorphism may be associated with significantly reduced risk of HBV-induced HCC in Asian.