Glutathione S-transferase T1 gene deletion polymorphism and lung cancer risk in Chinese population: A meta-analysis

Genetic variations in metabolic genes are considered to modulate metabolic process of carcinogens and are suggested to be related to cancer risk. However, epidemiological results are not always consistent. In this meta-analysis, we evaluated reported studies of association between polymorphism of glutathione S-transferase T1 gene (GSTT1) and the risk of lung cancer in Chinese population. We found an increased lung cancer risk among subjects carrying GSTT1 null genotype [odds ratio (OR) = 1.36, 95 percent confidence interval (95% CI): 1.09–1.69], using 1625 cases and 2188 controls from 11 studies. We also observed an increased risk of lung cancer among null genotype carriers in squamous cell carcinoma and andenocarcinoma, and on the basis of population control in stratified analyses. The meta-analysis suggests that GSTT1 deletion polymorphisms may have an effect on the susceptibility of lung cancer in Chinese population, and a study with the larger sample size is needed to further evaluate gene–gene and gene–environment interaction on GSTT1 deletion polymorphisms and lung cancer risk in Chinese population.