Long non-coding RNA GAS5 rs145204276 indel polymorphism and cancer risk: A systemic and meta-analysis review

Introduction: Cancer is the second most common cause of death globally. It has been demonstrated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) may play an essential role in cancer development. The lncRNA growth arrest-special 5 (GAS5) is a critical tumor suppressor in many types of human cancers. We have therefore conducted a meta-analysis to determine the association of lncRNA GAS5 rs145204276 indel polymorphism and cancer risk. Methods: A comprehensive literature search in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge were conducted up to July 1, 2019. Eligible studies were included in a meta-analysis. All statistical analyses were conducted using the Metagenyo online tool. Results: Our results showed no significant association between the lncRNA GAS5 rs145204276 and cancer risk using all genetic models. In subgroup analysis, the polymorphism demonstrated a significant association with a lower risk of gastric cancer. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of our results. No publication bias was also identified. Conclusions: Although the lncRNA GAS5 polymorphism is not associated with increased cancer risk, but its polymorphism was associated with a reduced risk of gastric cancer in subgroup analysis. Further studies with larger sample sizes across different ethnicities need to be performed to explore the association’s strength.