Objective To investigate the relationship between cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene polymorphism and genetic susceptibility to esophageal cancer. Methods The PubMed and EMbase databases were searched from the date of their establishment to January 1st, 2011 to collect the case-control studies on COX-2 polymorphism and susceptibility to esophageal cancer. For the population genotype distributions of both esophagus cancer group and control group, their odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were taken as the effect indexes, either the fixed or random effect model was applied to conducted Meta-analysis in homozygote comparison, dominant and recessive genetic models, and the publication bias was assessed then. All statistical analyses were conducted with Stata11.0 software. Results A total of five case-control studies were included. The results of meta-analyses showed for the COX-2-765Ggt;C polymorphism, the CC+GC genotype was associated with the risk of esophageal cancer in a dominant genetic model (CC+GC vs. GG: OR=1.806, 95% CI 1.050 to 3.106); for the COX-2-1195Ggt;A polymorphism, the AA genotype was associated with the risk of esophageal cancer in homozygote comparison and recessive genetic models, the AA+GA genotype was associated with the risk of esophageal cancer in a dominant genetic model. Conclusion It is suggested that COX-2 polymorphism may be associated with genetic susceptibility to esophageal cancer.
