NAT2 polymorphisms with oral carcinoma susceptibility: a meta-analysis

Published data have implicated NAT2 polymorphisms as risk factors for various cancers. A number of studies have focused on the association of NAT2 polymorphisms with susceptibility to oral carcinoma and have yielded inconclusive results. The aim of the present study was to derive a more precise estimation of the relationship. We first carried out a deliberate search in the databases without a language limitation, covering all papers published up to Dec 2011. A total of seven case–control studies including 1,379 cases and 1,868 controls were selected and the relevant data were extracted for systematic meta-analyses. No significant association was found for the overall data (OR: 1.04, 95 % CI: 0.79–1.39). In subgroup analyses according to ethnicity, slow acetylators might increase oral cancer risk among Asians (OR: 1.38, 95 % CI: 1.04–1.82) but not Caucasians or Mixed races. The data suggested that NAT2 polymorphisms might be a low-penetrant risk factor for oral carcinoma in Asians.