ABSTRACT
Previous studies have shown conflicting results between the association of leptin receptor (LEPR) genetic polymorphisms and cancer risk. The frequent LEPR Lys656Asn or Ser343Ser genetic polymorphism has been demonstrated to be functional and may promote genetic susceptibility to cancers. However, the association between the LEPR Lys656Asn or Ser343Ser genetic polymorphism and cancer risk remains to be determined. To improve the understanding of the LEPR Lys656Asn or Ser343Ser genetic polymorphism role in global cancer, a comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted that comprised 2,480 cases and 3,162 controls. The LEPR Lys656Asn or Ser343Ser genetic polymorphism did not significantly affect the cancer risk. In the stratified analysis, there was no significant association of the LEPR Lys656Asn or Ser343Ser variants with any type of cancer under any model. In addition, significantly increased risks were found in the Asian population in heterozygous codominant [odds ratio (OR), 1.24 (1.01-1.53)] and dominant [OR, 1.24 (1.02-1.50)] genetic models. A significantly increased susceptibility to cancer was not found when stratified by study design. There were no significant differences found in genotype method and sample size in cases among the genotypes. These findings indicated a lack of association between LEPR Lys656Asn or Ser343Ser polymorphisms and cancer susceptibility, however, these polymorphisms may increase the cancer susceptibility among the Asian population, particularly in the dominant genetic model. The single-nucleotide polymorphism is also suggested to function as a dominant mutation, which requires verification or association with functional studies.
