Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Polymorphisms and Susceptibility to Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in a Chinese Population: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Although many epidemiologic studies have investigated the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene polymorphisms and their association with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), definitive conclusions cannot be drawn. To clarify the effects of MTHFR polymorphisms on the risk of ALL, a meta-analysis was performed in a Chinese population. Materials and Methods: A computerized literature search was carried out in PubMed, the Chinese Biomedicine (CBM) database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) platform, and the Wanfang database (Chinese) to collect relevant articles. Results: A total of 11 articles including 1,738 ALL cases and 2,438 controls were included in this meta-analysis. Overall, a significantly decreased association was found between the MTHFR C677T polymorphism and ALL risk when all studies in Chinese populations were pooled into the meta-analysis. In subgroup analyses stratified by age, ethnicity, and source of controls, the same results were observed in children, in population-based studies, and in people with no stated ethnicity. However, a significantly increased association was also found for MTHFR C677T in hospitalbased studies, and for MTHFR Al298C in people with no stated ethnicity. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the MTHFR C677T and Al298C polymorphisms may be potential biomarkers for ALL risk in Chinese populations, and studies with a larger sample size and wider population spectrum are required before definitive conclusions can be drawn.