Meng Zhang - Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China (۲۳۰۰۳۲)
Xun Wu - BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China (۵۱۸۰۰۰)
Wei Lu - Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China (۲۳۰۰۳۲)
Yukun Ge - BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China (۵۱۸۰۰۰)
Xiang Wang - Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China (۲۳۰۰۳۲)
Zhiming Cai - Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China (۲۳۰۰۳۲)
Song Wu - Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China (۲۳۰۰۳۲)

Objective(s):Genome-wide association studies have identified a number of genetic variants of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), cleft lip and palate transmembrane۱-like (CLPTM۱L) associated with the risk of bladder cancer. Rs۴۰۱۶۸۱ polymorphism in TERT-CLPTM۱L was of special interest for bladder cancer risk, whereas the results were inconclusive. Materials and Methods:Publications illustrating the association between rs۴۰۱۶۸۱ polymorphism and bladder cancer risk were collected from the Embase, PubMed and Google scholar. Three independent reviewers worked on the data extraction. The meta-analysis was performed by STATA ۱۲.۰. The odds ratio (OR) with ۹۵% confidence interval (CI) was calcu lated for these data. Results: Six case-control studies were retrieved reporting a total of ۹۱۹۶ bladder cancer patients and ۴۲۵۷۰ controls. The strength of the relevance between rs۴۰۱۶۸۱ polymorphism and bladder cancer risk was evaluated by Stata ۱۲.۰ software. Rs۴۰۱۶۸۱[C] allele was identified marginally                  associated with increased bladder cancer risk, with per allele OR of ۱.۱۳۲ (۹۵% CI=۱.۰۸۰-۱.۱۸۷, Pheterogeneity=۰.۷۰۱); in the stratified analysis by ethnicity, the increased cancer risk was revealed in Asian and Caucasian groups. Moreover, we also revealed that rs۴۰۱۶۸۱ polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer in Asian population with three publications under allele model (OR=۳.۷۲۲, ۹۵% CI=۱.۳۱۱-۱۰.۵۶۸, P=۰.۰۱۴), whereas a decreased risk was identified in homozygote model (OR=۰.۶۹۲, ۹۵ % CI=۰.۵۱۳-۰.۹۳۴, P= ۰.۰۱۶) and recessive model (OR=۰.۷۲۸, ۹۵% CI=۰.۵۴۱-۰.۹۸۰, P=۰.۰۳۶).                             Conclusion: In summary, our study provided evidence that rs۴۰۱۶۸۱ polymorphism is associated with the risk of bladder cancer.

Bladder cancer, Meta-analysis, Polymorphism, TERT-CLPTM۱L rs۴۰۱۶۸۱