Association between the polymorphisms of urokinase plasminogen activation system and cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Zhen Xu,1,* Li-Li Meng,2,* Jizong Lin,3 Yunbiao Ling,3 Shu-xian Chen,3 Nan Lin31Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 2Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, 3Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this studyPurpose: The present study aimed to investigate the potential association between the urokinase plasminogen activation (uPA) system polymorphisms (rs4065, rs2227564, and rs344781) and cancer risk.Methods: An extensive search was performed to identify published case–control studies on the association between the uPA system polymorphisms and cancer risk. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the relationship between the uPA system polymorphisms and cancer risk.Results: A total of 20 studies comprising 7,037 cancer cases and 10,094 controls were identified and included in the present meta-analysis. Overall, significantly increased cancer risk was associated with the uPA polymorphism rs4065 (T vs C: OR 1.50, 95% CI: 1.19–1.89; TT vs CC: OR 4.63, 95% CI: 3.10–6.91; dominant model: OR 1.93, 95% CI: 1.60–2.33; recessive model: OR 3.02, 95% CI: 1.26–7.25) and the uPA receptor polymorphism rs344781 (T vs C: OR 1.13, 95% CI: 1.04–1.23; TC vs CC: OR 1.26, 95% CI: 1.06–1.49; TT vs CC: OR 1.35, 95% CI: 1.13–1.63; dominant model: OR 1.29, 95% CI: 1.10–1.52). No significant association was found between the uPA polymorphism rs2227564 and cancer risk. Subgroup analysis suggests that the T allele of the rs4065 (T allele vs C allele: OR 1.50, 95% CI: 1.19–1.89) and rs344781 polymorphisms (T allele vs C allele: OR 1.13, 95% CI: 1.04–1.23) was associated with increased cancer risk in Asians.Conclusi