BACKGROUND: Several studies have indicated that interleukin (IL)-1β-511 C/T polymorphism may contribute to individual susceptibility to gastric cancer, but the results vary among regions and races. No relevant meta-analysis has been conducted in a Chinese population. Therefore, we performed the current meta-analysis to investigate the possible correlation between IL-1β-511 C/T polymorphism and gastric cancer susceptibility in Chinese subjects.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: PubMed, EmBase, Cochrane Library, Chinese Biology Medicine (CBM), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang databases were searched for case-control studies published before 21 January 2015 and investigating a correlation between IL-1β-511 C/T polymorphism and gastric cancer susceptibility. Two investigators independently screened the studies, extracted data, and evaluated the quality of included studies with the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Meta-analysis was conducted with STATA 12.0.

RESULTS: A total of 27 articles from 28 case-control studies were collected. Meta-analysis showed that IL-1β-511C/T polymorphism was related to increased susceptibility to gastric cancer in Chinese subjects [T vs. C: OR=1.21, 95%CI (1.07–1.37), P<0.01; TT vs. CC: OR=1.41, 95%CI (1.11–1.80), P<0.01; CT vs. CC: OR=1.26, 95% CI (1.05–1.50), P<0.01; TT+CT vs. CC: OR=1.31, 95%CI (1.08–1.58), P<0.01; and TT vs. CT+CC: OR=1.24, 95%CI (1.05–1.47), P<0.01]. Subgroup analysis showed a significant correlation between IL-1β-511C/T polymorphism and susceptibility to gastric cancer in residents of southern China and in patients with intestinal-type gastric cancer, but not in residents of northern China or in patients with diffuse gastric cancer. Moreover, H. pylori-infected subjects carrying T (CT+TT) exhibited a relatively higher risk of GC [OR=2.4, 95% CI (1.2–5.1), P=0.02].

CONCLUSIONS: IL-1β-511C/T polymorphism is significantly associated with increased susceptibility to gastric cancer in residents of southern China and in intestinal-type gastric cancer. We also found a synergistic interaction between IL-1β-511C/T polymorphism and H. pylori infection in the development of GC.

Keywords: China - epidemiology, Case-Control Studies, Asian Continental Ancestry Group - genetics, Genetic Association Studies, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Helicobacter Infections - pathology, Helicobacter pylori - isolation & purification, Interleukin-1beta - genetics, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Stomach Neoplasms - microbiology