Association between the XRCC3 C241T polymorphism and lung cancer risk in the Asian population

X-ray repair cross-complementing group 3 (XRCC3) plays a vital role in maintaining the stability of genome by homologous recombination repair for DNA double-strand breaks. The genetic polymorphism of XRCC3 C241T has been implicated in lung cancer risk, but the findings across published studies in Asians are inconsistent and inconclusive. To estimate the precise association of XRCC3 C241T polymorphism with lung cancer risk, a meta-analysis of all currently available studies in Asians was performed. A comprehensive search of the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases was conducted for eligible studies based on the inclusion criteria. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the association. Besides, subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were also performed for further estimation. Seven available studies with a total of 7,398 subjects were finally included into this meta-analysis. The overall ORs indicated that the XRCC3 C241T polymorphism was not associated with a lung cancer risk among Asians in all genetic contrast modes (OR_{T allele vs. C allele} = 1.08, 95 % CI 0.95–1.24, P _OR = 0.252; OR_{TT vs. CC} = 1.30, 95 % CI 0.69–2.45, P _OR = 0.426; OR_{CT vs. CC} = 1.07, 95 % CI 0.93–1.24, P _OR = 0.363; OR_{TT + CT vs. CC} = 1.08, 95 % CI 0.94–1.24, P _OR = 0.300; OR_{TT vs. CC + CT} = 1.29, 95 % CI 0.68–2.43, P _OR = 0.439). We failed to identify significant association between the XRCC3 C241T polymorphism and risk of lung cancer in Chinese and population-based studies. Interestingly, the pooled ORs in hospital-based studies indicated that the XRCC3 C241T variant carriers were more susceptible to lung cancer (OR_{T allele vs. C allele} = 1.27, 95 % CI 1.04–1.56, P _OR = 0.019; OR_{CT vs. CC} = 1.26, 95 % CI 1.01–1.57, P _OR = 0.045; OR_{TT + CT vs. CC} = 1.28, 95 % CI 1.03–1.59, P _OR = 0.027). Sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability and liability of all results. This meta-analysis suggests that the XRCC3 C241T polymorphism may not exert a risk effect on the lung cancer risk in Asians, although a statistically significant association was observed among the hospital-based studies. Thus, the precise relationship between the XRCC3 C241T variant and lung cancer risk needs further confirmation in future studies with large available data.