MiR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis.

Results of published studies on the association between the miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were inclusive. We performed a meta-analysis. A literature research was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Library, Ovid, Embase, Wanfang and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases, to identify studies. Statistical analyses were conducted in STATA version 11.0 (Stata Corporation, College station, TX, USA). A total of 12 publications were included in this meta-analysis. The results of this meta-analysis suggested that miR-146a rs2910164 was associated with an increased risk of HCC (OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.00-1.19). In sensitivity analysis, the result was still positive when excluding the studies without HWE (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.01-1.23). In conclusion, this meta-analysis suggested a significant association between miR-146a rs2910164 polymorphism and HCC risk.