Meta-analysis of associations between the TP53 Arg72Pro polymorphism with risk of head and neck carcinomas based on case-control studies

Genetic factors have been shown to play a role in the development of head and neck cancers (HNCs). However, studies investigating the association between the TP53 Arg72Pro polymorphism and HNCs susceptibility have yielded conflicting results. Hence, we performed a meta-analysis of all eligible studies (up to January 1, 2012) to derive a more precise estimation of this association in order to increase understanding of the possible risk factors of HNCs. Twenty-seven case-control studies involving 3966 cases and 4387 controls were included in our analysis. Overall, no evidence of association was observed between the TP53 Arg72Pro single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and the risk of HNCs in any genetic model (Arg/Arg vs Pro/Pro: odds ratio (OR) = 0.83, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.65-1.06; Arg/Pro vs Pro/Pro: OR = 0.88, 95%CI= 0.70-1.10; Arg/Arg+Arg/Pro vs Pro/Pro: OR = 0.87, 95%CI= 0.70-1.09; Arg/Arg vs Arg/Pro+Pro/Pro: OR = 0.95, 95%CI= 0.82-1.11). Nevertheless, the TP53 Arg72Pro polymorphism shows diverse effects across different subtypes of HNCs. For example, there was a lack of association of this polymorphism with oral cavity cancer, whereas a significant association with nasopharyngeal cancer was observed. Results of this meta-analysis suggest that the TP53 Arg72Pro polymorphism might have different effects on the risk of various subtypes of HNCs.