Introduction: A few studies have reported an association between NADP(H): quinine oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) C609T polymorphism and susceptibility to colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the results were inconsistent rather than conclusive. We performed a meta-analysis to examine this association in various populations.
Material and methods: Eligible articles were identified by a search of several databases up until June 30, 2013. Summary odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the strength of the association.
Results: Overall, 14 case-control studies with 4,461 cases and 5,474 controls were included in this meta-analysis. The results indicated that the NQO1 C609T polymorphism was significantly associated with CRC susceptibility (summary ORs (95% CIs): 1.30 (1.07–1.59) for CT vs. CC, 1.64 (1.15–2.33) for TT vs. CC, 1.34 (1.10–1.64) for TT/CT vs. CC, and 1.43 (1.10–1.87) for TT vs. CT/CC). Subgroup analyses indicated that the T allele was significantly associated with CRC susceptibility in both Asians and Caucasians, and was also observed in high quality studies and hospital-based case-control studies. Specifically, we found a positive association between the NQO1 C609T polymorphism and CRC susceptibility in smokers, but not in non-smokers.
Conclusions: The results of this meta-analysis suggest that the NQO1 C609T polymorphism significantly contributes to increased susceptibility to CRC in both Asians and Caucasians.