To systemically explore the association between interleukin 12B (IL-12B) rs3212227 polymorphism and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Systematic searches were conducted in CNKI, Wanfang data, VIP, PubMed, Medline and OVID to collect the articles with relevant information of IL-12B rs3212227 polymorphism and hepatocellular carcinoma. Two reviewers independently screened articles and extracted data according to the inclusion criteria. The STATA 14.0 software was used to perform Meta analysis. The Eggr's test was applied to evaluate the publication bias.

A total of 8 studies were included. In the co-dominant model (AC vs. AA), IL-12B rs3212227 polymorphism was not associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (Z= 1.84, P= 0.065), while in allele model (C vs. A), dominant model (CC+ AC vs. AA), implicit model (CC vs. AC+ AA) and co-dominant model (CC vs. AA), C genotype increased the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (Z= 2.90, P= 0.004; Z= 3.12, P= 0.002; Z= 2.26, P= 0.024; Z= 2.92, P= 0.003). For the stratified analysis, in the population-based study, IL-12B rs3212227 polymorphism was associated with hepatocellular carcinoma in the dominant model (CC+ AC vs. AA)[OR= 1.17, 95%CI(1.01, 1.35), Z= 2.04, P= 0.041], and in the hospital-based study, IL-12B rs3212227 polymorphism was associated with hepatocellular carcinoma in allele model (C vs. A)[OR= 1.16, 95%CI(1.03, 1.30), Z= 2.54, P= 0.011], dominant model (CC+ AC vs. AA)[OR= 1.22, 95%CI (1.04, 1.43), Z= 2.39, P= 0.017], implicit model (CC vs. AC+ AA)[OR= 1.25, 95%CI (1.03, 1.53), Z= 2.26, P= 0.024] and co-dominant model (CC vs. AA)[OR= 1.37, 95%CI (1.09, 1.73), Z= 2.69, P= 0.007], except for the co-dominant model (AC vs. AA)[OR= 1.12, 95%CI (0.93, 1.36), Z= 1.22, P= 0.222].

IL-12B rs3212227 polymorphism is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma and the C genotype can increase the hepatocellular carcinoma risk.