The association between XPD rs13181 and rs1799793 polymorphism and oral cancer risk: evidence from a meta-analysis

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are common in genes and can lead to dysregulation of gene expression in tissues, which can affect carcinogenesis. Many studies reporting the association between xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD) polymorphisms of rs13181 and rs1799793 with oral cancer risk, but with conflicting and inconclusive results.

We performed a comprehensive and systematic search through the PubMed, Elsevier, Web of science, and Embase databases, twelve studies were included in the meta-analysis to determine whether XPD rs13181 and rs1799793 polymorphism contributed to the risk of oral cancer.

The pooled date indicated a significant association between the rs13181 polymorphism and oral cancer risk for the allele comparison model (odds ratio, OR = 1.60, 95% confidence intervals, CI = 1.09–2.35, P = 0.02), the dominant model (OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.08–2.82, P = 0.02), and the heterozygote model (OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.02–2.49, P = 0.04). For the XPD rs1799793 polymorphism, it is not associated with the incidence of oral cancer under any model. Subgroup analyses based on ethnicity indicated that the rs13181 polymorphism increased the risk of oral cancer among Asians according to the allele comparison model (OR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.10–3.51, P = 0.02), the dominant model (OR = 2.35, 95% CI = 1.25–4.44, P = 0.008), the heterozygote model (OR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.15–3.66, P = 0.01), and the homozygous model (OR = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.06–5.76, P = 0.04).

Our meta-analysis suggests a positive correlation between XPD rs13181polymorphism and the development of oral cancer among Asians, but a negative correlation among Caucasians populations.