The 6q25.1 rs2046210 polymorphism is associated with an elevated susceptibility to breast cancer: A meta-analysis of 261,703 subjects.

Background Several genome-wide association studies already explored the associations between 6q25.1 rs2046210 polymorphism and breast cancer (BC), but the results of these studies were not consistent. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis of relevant studies to better analyze the effects of rs2046210 polymorphism on individual susceptibility to BC. Methods PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were searched for eligible studies. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Results Totally 21 studies with 261,703 subjects were analyzed. A significant association with BC was observed for the rs2046210 polymorphism in GG versus GA +AA (dominant comparison, p < 0.0001, OR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.73-0.83), AA versus GG + GA (recessive comparison, p < 0.0001, OR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.18-1.24), GA versus GG + AA (overdominant comparison, p < 0.0001, OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.08-1.16), and G versus A (allele comparison, p < 0.0001, OR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.82-0.89). Further subgroup analyses yielded similar positive results in both Asians and Caucasians. Conclusion In summary, our findings suggested that the rs2046210 polymorphism may serve as a potential genetic biomarker of BC in both Asians and Caucasians.