The role of O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase polymorphisms in colorectal cancer susceptibility: a meta analysis.

Objective: O(6)-methylguanine DNA methyl-transferase gene (MGMT) is a central DNA repair mechanism with a significant role in removing DNA damage caused by alkylating agents and inhibiting human oncogenesis. Two single polymorphisms in the MGMT gene, Leu84Phe and Ile143Val, have been reported to affect DNA repair capability and enzymic activity, thereby leading to formation of different cancers. In this work, we quantitatively assess the associations between MGMT polymorphisms and risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), as previous studies has implicated inconsistencies in their results.