Long non-coding RNA POLR2E rs3787016 is associated with the risk of papillary thyroid carcinoma in Chinese population

Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) have been shown to be involved in cancer tumorigenesis and progression. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the lncRNAs also play a vital role in carcinogenesis. We here explored the association between POLR2E rs3787016 and risk of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in a Chinese population, which was followed by a meta-analysis of POLR2E rs3787016 and cancer risk in Chinese population. A total of 409 PTC patients and 800 healthy individuals were enrolled in the present study. The POLR2E rs3787016 was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and was confirmed by sequencing. The POLR2E rs3787016T allele increased the PTC risk in Chinese population, particular in Chinese females. The meta-analysis further revealed that POLR2E rs3787016T allele was associated with an increased cancer risk in Chinese population. Collectively, the POLR2E rs3787016 may be used as a genetic biomarker to predict cancer risk in Chinese population.