1. ¹Cancer Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
2. ²Cancer Center, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University & Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
3. ³Nantong Cancer Research Institute, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
4. ⁴Lung Cancer Research Institute & Cancer Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, China
5. ⁵Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
6. ⁶Department of Infection and Liver Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China

Correspondence: Dr M-H Zheng, Department of Infection and Liver Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China. E-mail: conquerpkc@126.com; Dr X-P Qian, Cancer Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. Tel: +86 25 83107081; Fax: +86 25 83317016; E-mail: mdqiulixin@hotmail.com

Received 21 February 2008; Revised 29 July 2008; Accepted 30 July 2008; Published online 10 September 2008.

Abstract

Published data on the association between E-cadherin (CDH1) -160 C/A polymorphism and prostate cancer (PCA) risk are inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, a meta-analysis was performed. A logistic regression approach proposed for molecular association studies was used to estimate a biological model of the gene effect. A total of 11 studies including 2637 cases and 2673 controls were involved in this meta-analysis. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the CDH1 -160 C/A genotypes were associated with PCA risk. The genetic model test indicated that the genetic model was most likely to be dominant (CA+AA vs CC). Overall, meta-analysis indicated that the -160A allele carriers (CA+AA) had a 21% elevated risk of PCA, when compared with the homozygotes (CC) (odds ratio (OR)=1.21; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.97–1.51; P=0.090, P_{heterogeneity}=0.001). In the subgroup analyses by ethnicity, significantly elevated risks were associated with -160 variant genotypes (CA+AA) in both European and Asian populations (OR=1.24; 95% CI: 1.08–1.43; P=0.003, P_{heterogeneity}=0.220 and OR=1.54; 95% CI: 1.23–1.93; P<0.001, P_{heterogeneity}=0.200). However, no significant associations were found in Africans (OR=0.59; 95% CI: 0.32–1.09; P=0.090, P_{heterogeneity}=0.070). Although some modest bias could not be eliminated, this meta-analysis suggests that the CDH1 -160A allele is a low-penetrant risk factor for developing PCA, especially in Europeans and Asians.