Association between the Thr241Met polymorphism of X-ray repair cross-complementing group 3 gene and glioma risk: evidence from a meta-analysis based on 4,136 cases and 5,233 controls

Genetic polymorphism of X-ray repair cross-complementing group 3 (XRCC3) Thr241Met has been implicated to alter the risk of glioma, but the results are controversial. Medline, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were independently searched by two investigators up to 13 July 2013. Summary odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) for Thr241Met polymorphism and prostate cancer were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed with the software program Stata 12.0. A total of 10 independent studies, including 4,136 cases and 5,233 controls, were identified. Our analysis suggested that Thr241Met was not associated with glioma risk in overall population. In the subgroup analysis, we detected no significant association between Thr241Met polymorphism and glioma risk in different descent populations. Subgroup analysis was held by source of controls, significant association was found between this polymorphism and glioma risk for population-based studies (homozygote model: OR = 1.747, 95 % CI = 1.123–2.717, P _h = 0.059, I ² = 59.7 %; recessive model, OR = 1.455, 95 % CI = 1.179–1.795, P _h = 0.111, I ² = 50.1 %; allele model, OR = 1.258, 95 % CI = 1.010–1.566, P _h = 0.011, I ² = 72.9 %). This meta-analysis showed the evidence that XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism was associated with a low risk of glioma development.