Association between the CYP1A1 T3801C polymorphism and risk of cancer: Evidence from 268 case–control studies

An epigenetic memory at the CYP1A gene in cancer-resistant, pollution-adapted killifish

Human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) is a significant and growing public health problem. Frequent, high dose exposures are likely to increase due to a warming climate and increased frequency of large-scale wildfires. Here, we characterize an epigenetic memory at the cytochrome P450 1A ( CYP1A ) gene in a population of wild Fundulus heteroclitus that has adapted to chronic, extreme PAH pollution. In wild-type fish, CYP1A is highly induced by PAH. In PAH-tolerant fish, CYP1A induction is blunted. Since CYP1A metabolically activates PAH, this memory protects these fish from PAH-mediated cancer. However, PAH-tolerant fish reared in clean water recover CYP1A inducibility, indicating that blunted induction is a non-genetic memory of prior exposure. To explore this possibility, we bred depurated wild fish from PAH-sensitive and -tolerant populations, manually fertilized exposure-naïve embryos, and challenged them with PAH. We observed epigenetic control of the reversible memory of generational PAH stress in F 1 PAH-tolerant embryos. Specifically, we observed a bivalent domain in the CYP1A promoter enhancer comprising both activating and repressive histone post-translational modifications. Activating modifications, relative to repressive ones, showed greater increases in response to PAH in sensitive embryos, relative to tolerant, consistent with greater gene activation. Also, PAH-tolerant adult fish showed persistent induction of CYP1A long after exposure cessation, which is consistent with defective CYP1A shutoff and recovery to baseline. Since CYP1A expression is inversely correlated with cancer risk, these results indicate that PAH-tolerant fish have epigenetic protection against PAH-induced cancer in early life that degrades in response to continuous gene activation.

Significance

Epigenetic memory, or the inheritance across cell division within an organism or across generations, of environmental exposure response is a compelling phenomenon with limited understanding of mechanism. Here, we characterized an epigenetic memory at the CYP1A gene in pollution-adapted Fundulus heteroclitus . We found that the CYP1A promoter enhancer contains a bivalent domain, comprising both active and repressive histone modifications, that shows reduced function correlating with reduced gene induction by its pollutant activator. In early life, this memory protects fish against pollution-induced cancer. However, this reduced function carries a cost; adult fish show defective transcriptional recovery of CYP1A , which increases cancer risk later in life. These results provide an initial mechanism for a model epigenetic memory and highlight potential costs.

Impact of CYP1A1 variants on the risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia: evidence from an updated meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Our study aimed to investigate the association between cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) polymorphisms (T3801C and A2455G) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) risk, considering genetic models and ethnicity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Web of Knowledge, Scopus, and the Cochrane electronic databases were searched using combinations of keywords related to CYP1A1 polymorphisms and the risk of ALL. Studies retrieved from the database searches underwent screening based on strict inclusion and exclusion criteria.

RESULTS

In total, 2822 cases and 4252 controls, as well as 1636 cases and 2674 controls of the C3801T and A2455G variants of CYP1A1, respectively, were included in this meta-analysis. The T3801C polymorphism of CYP1A1 significantly increases the risk of ALL, particularly those observed in Asian and Hispanic populations, independent of age. Similarly, the A2455G polymorphism of CYP1A1 plays a significant role in the susceptibility to ALL in all genetic models, except the heterozygous form. This association was observed mainly in mixed populations and in both children and adults (except in the heterozygous model).

CONCLUSION

Our comprehensive analysis indicates that the T3801 and A2455G polymorphisms of CYP1A1 may increase the risk of ALL depending on ethnicity. Therefore, both variants should be considered promising biomarkers for ALL risk. Further large-scale investigations are necessary to assess other factors, such as gene-gene or gene-environment interactions.

Association between the CYP1A1 MspI polymorphism and risk of head and neck cancer: a meta-analysis

The studies recommended the relationship between lots of polymorphisms with the head and neck cancers (HNCs) risk. Herein, we reported the association between the CYP1A1 MspI polymorphism and the risk of HNC in an updated meta-analysis. The PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases were searched until March 31, 2021, without any restrictions. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were applied to assess a relationship between CYP1A1 MspI polymorphism and the HNC risk based on five applied genetic models by RevMan 5.3 software. Other analyses (sensitivity analysis, meta-regression, and bias analysis) were performed by CMA 2.0 software. Trial sequential analysis (TSA) was done by TSA software (version 0.9.5.10 beta). Among the databases and other sources, 501 recorded were identified that at last, 29 studies were obtained for the analysis. The pooled ORs were 1.28 (95%CI 1.09, 1.51; P = 0.003), 1.68 (95%CI 1.16, 2.45; P = 0.007), 1.24 (95%CI 1.03, 1.50; P = 0.02), 1.26 (95%CI 1.07, 1.48; P = 0.005), and 1.66 (95%CI 1.27, 2.16; P = 0.0002) for allelic, homozygous, heterozygous, recessive, and dominant models, respectively. Therefore, the m2 allele and m1/m2 and m2/m2 genotypes had significantly increased risks in HNC patients. With regards to stable results and enough samples, the findings of the present meta-analysis recommended that there was an association between CYP1A1 MspI polymorphism and the HNC risk.

Associations of CYP1A1 gene polymorphisms and risk of breast cancer in Indian women: a meta-analysis

Reported associations of CYP1A1 polymorphisms with breast cancer have been inconsistent. In this meta-analysis examining breast cancer associations of three CYP1A1 polymorphisms (M1, M2 and M4) among Indian women may yield information that may be of clinical and epidemiological use for this particular demography. We searched MEDLINE using PubMed and Embase for association studies. From seven published case-control studies, we estimated overall associations and applied subgroup analysis to explore differential effects. All three polymorphisms exhibited overall increased risk, significant in M1 (OR 1.61–1.65, p = 0.04) and M4 (OR 2.02–3.92, p = 0.02–0.04). Differential effects were observed only in the M1 polymorphism where M1 effects were significant in South Indians (OR 2.20–4.34, p < 0.0001) but not the North population, who were at reduced risk (OR 0.64–0.77, p = 0.03–0.55). These populations were not materially different in regard to M2 and M4 as did the women stratified by menopausal status. In this meta-analysis, M1 and M4 effects may render Indian women susceptible, but may be limited by heterogeneity of the studies. Differential effects of the M1 polymorphism in breast cancer render South Indians susceptible compared to those in the North.

Evaluation of association studies and a systematic review and meta-analysis of CYP1A1 T3801C and A2455G polymorphisms in breast cancer risk

Background

Nine previous meta-analyses have been published to analyze the CYP1A1 T3801C and A2455G polymorphisms with BC risk. However, they did not assess the credibility of statistically significant associations. In addition, many new studies have been reported on the above themes. Hence, we conducted an updated systematic review and meta-analysis to further explore the above issues.

Objectives

To explore the association on the CYP1A1 T3801C and A2455G polymorphisms with BC risk.

Methods

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (The PRISMA) were used.

Results

In this study, there were 63 case–control studies from 56 publications on the CYP1A1 T3801C polymorphism (including 20,825 BC cases and 25,495 controls) and 51 case–control studies from 46 publications on the CYP1A1 A2455G polymorphism (including 20,124 BC cases and 29,183 controls). Overall, the CYP1A1 T3801C polymorphism was significantly increased BC risk in overall analysis, especially in Asians and Indians; the CYP1A1 A2455G polymorphism was associated with BC risk in overall analysis, Indians, and postmenopausal women. However, when we used BFDP correction, associations remained significant only in Indians (CC vs. TT + TC: BFDP < 0.001) for the CYP1A1 T3801C polymorphism with BC risk, but not in the CYP1A1 A2455G polymorphism. In addition, when we further performed sensitivity analysis, no significant association in overall analysis and any subgroup. Moreover, we found that all studies from Indians was low quality. Therefore, the results may be not credible.

Conclusion

This meta-analysis strongly indicates that there is no significant association between the CYP1A1 T3801C and A2455G polymorphisms and BC risk. The increased BC risk may most likely on account of false-positive results.

Association of CYP1A1, GSTM1 and GSTT1 gene polymorphisms with risk of prostate cancer in Algerian population

Background

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the world, and its etiology involves the interaction of genetic and environmental factors. Interindividual differences observed in the metabolism of xenobiotics may be due to polymorphisms of genes encoding the detoxification enzymes. This genetic variability seems to be associated with differences in susceptibility to certain types of cancers, including prostate cancer. Our study has been made in order to investigate a possible genetic predisposition to prostate cancer in an Algerian population, through the analysis of genetic polymorphisms of three enzymes metabolizing xenobiotics namely cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1, glutathione S-transferase mu 1 (GSTM1) and GST theta 1 (GSTT1).

Methods

The current case–control study included 101 prostate cancer patients and 101 healthy controls. Genotyping of CYP1A1 T3801C polymorphisms and GSTM1/GSTT-null was made, respectively, by PCR-RFLP and multiplex PCR.

Results

No significantly positive associations were found for the CYP1A1 T3801C [p = 0.71, OR = 1.23 (0.56–2.72)] and GSTM1-null [p = 0.26, OR = 1.37 (0.76–2.4)] polymorphisms and prostate cancer susceptibility. However, we detect a highly significant association between GSTT1-null genotype [p = 0.03, OR = 2.03 (1.06–3.99)], GSTM1/GSTT1-double null genotype [p = 0.027, OR = 2.6; CI (1.07–6.5)] and prostate cancer risk. Furthermore, no statistically significant differences between the studied polymorphisms and tumor parameters (the Gleason score and clinical stages of aggressiveness) at diagnosis of PCa.

Conclusions

The risk of developing prostate cancer in Algeria does not appear to be associated with CYP1A1 T3801C genotypes and GSTM1-null, but GSTT1-null and GSTM1/GSTT1-double null genotypes increased the risk of prostate cancer.

A meta-analysis and in silico analysis of polymorphic variants conferring breast cancer risk in the Indian subcontinent

Background: Genetic association studies on breast cancer on the Indian subcontinent have yielded conflicting results, and the precise effect of these variants on breast cancer pathogenesis is not known. Methods: Genomic variants, as obtained from selected studies from the Indian subcontinent, were subjected to random-effects and fixed-effect meta-analysis. Functional annotation of the relevant variants was done through a tried and tested in silico pipeline. Results: We found rs4646903/CYP1A1, rs1799814/CYP1A1, rs61886492/GCPII, del2/GSTM1, rs4680/COMT and rs1801394/MTRR to be associated with breast cancer. The del2/GSTM1 holds the association in premenopausal women. Conclusions: This is the first study of its kind from the Indian subcontinent analysing the extent of association of variants across populations followed by their functional annotation in the disease pathway.

Genetic variants in CYP and GST genes, smoking and risk for head and neck cancers: a gene-environment interaction hospital-based case-control study among Canadian Caucasians

The evidence for genetic polymorphisms in genes encoding cytochrome P450 (CYP) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) enzymes as risk factors for squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN) in Caucasians is conflicting. Furthermore, the interactive effects with smoking have not been documented. We estimated the effects of five single nucleotide polymorphisms and two copy number variants associated with CYP and GST genes, as well as their interactive effects with smoking, on SCCHN risk among Caucasians from a case-control study conducted in Montreal, Canada. The study involved 389 incident SCCHN cases and 429 controls, frequency-matched by age and sex, recruited from four main hospitals between 2005 and 2013. Life-course-based interviews collected information on tobacco smoking history and other risk behaviors. DNA was isolated from oral exfoliated cells and genotyped for genetic variants. Unconditional logistic regression models estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for main, joint effect, stratum-specific and interaction estimates among non-, moderate and heavy smokers. Carriers of GSTP1 105Val (versus non-carriers) had a lower risk of SCCHN (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.53, 0.95), which was observed for heavy smokers (OR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.95) and non-smokers alike (OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.98). The decreased risk associations were also conserved among human papillomavirus negative individuals. There was no evidence for statistical interaction with smoking on additive or multiplicative scales for any of the variants analyzed. Of CYP and GST polymorphisms detected in Canadian Caucasians, only GSTP1 105Val was associated with a decreased risk for SCCHN.

The association between three AXIN2 variants and cancer risk

Plenty of epidemiological studies have assessed the effects of AXIN2 polymorphisms on the risk of developing cancer, but the available results were somewhat inconclusive. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized to investigate the relationship between three AXIN2 variants (rs2240308 C/T, rs1133683 C/T, and rs4791171 A/G) and overall cancer susceptibility. In silico tools were undertaken to investigate the correlation of AXIN2 expression with cancer risk and survival time. Furthermore, we explored the serum expression of AXIN2 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A total of 4167 cancer patients and 3515 control subjects were evaluated. The overall results demonstrated that there was no major association of these polymorphisms on cancer risk. However, stratified analysis by cancer type showed evidence that rs2240308 C/T polymorphism had a lower risk in lung cancer (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.63-0.92; P_{heterogeneity}  = 0.865) and prostate cancer (OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.35-0.84; P_{heterogeneity}  = 0.088) by heterozygote comparison. Similar results were indicated in Asian descendants and population-based studies. In silico analysis showed evidence that AXIN2 expressions in lung cancer and prostate cancer were lower than that in normal counterpart. High expression of AXIN2 may have longer overall survival time than low expression group for lung cancer participants. In addition, individuals who were CC/TC carriers had a higher serum expression level than TT carriers. In conclusion, this pooled analysis suggested that AXIN2 rs2240308 C/T variant may decrease both lung and prostate cancer susceptibility, particularly in Asian descendants and population-based studies. Future large scale and well-designed research are required to validate these effects in more detail.

Germline mutations in 40 cancer susceptibility genes among Chinese patients with high hereditary risk breast cancer

Multigene panel testing of breast cancer predisposition genes have been extensively conducted in Europe and America, which is relatively rare in Asia however. In this study, we assessed the frequency of germline mutations in 40 cancer predisposition genes, including BRCA1 and BRCA2, among a large cohort of Chinese patients with high hereditary risk of BC. From 2015 to 2016, consecutive BC patients from 26 centers of China with high hereditary risk were recruited (n = 937). Clinical information was collected and next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed using blood samples of participants to identify germline mutations. In total, we acquired 223 patients with putative germline mutations, including 159 in BRCA1/2, 61 in 15 other BC susceptibility genes and 3 in both BRCA1/2 and non-BRCA1/2 gene. Major mutant non-BRCA1/2 genes were TP53 (n = 18), PALB2 (n = 11), CHEK2 (n = 6), ATM (n = 6) and BARD1 (n = 5). No factors predicted pathologic mutations in non-BRCA1/2 genes when treated as a whole. TP53 mutations were associated with HER-2 positive BC and younger age at diagnosis; and CHEK2 and PALB2 mutations were enriched in patients with luminal BC. Among high hereditary risk Chinese BC patients, 23.8% contained germline mutations, including 6.8% in non-BRCA1/2 genes. TP53 and PALB2 had a relatively high mutation rate (1.9 and 1.2%). Although no factors predicted for detrimental mutations in non-BRCA1/2 genes, some clinical features were associated with mutations of several particular genes.

Potential Positive Association between Cytochrome P450 1A1 Gene Polymorphisms and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss: a Meta-Analysis

In order to discover the potential genetic risks associated with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), this meta-analysis was conducted to assess the association between CYP1A1 gene polymorphism and RPL. Studies were retrieved from the databases PubMed, Embase, HuGENet, and CNKI. Four models were then applied. Seven studies, including three datasets for the rs1048943 and five for the rs4646903 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), were included in this analysis, involving 613 cases and 398 controls for the rs1048943; and 864 cases and 842 controls for the rs4646903 SNP. After comprehensive analysis, we found that rs4646903 was significantly associated with RPL [recessive (OR = 1.72, 95%CI: 1.13-2.61); codominant (CC vs TT; OR = 1.74, 95%CI: 1.12-2.71), (CC vs CT; OR = 1.67, 95%CI: 1.07-2.62) and allele analysis (OR = 1.27, 95%CI: 1.07-1.50)]. In the following subgroup analysis, a positive association was also discovered among people of Asian descent, especially South Asians. However, there was no obvious association between rs1048943 and RPL. In summary, our results suggest that CYP1A1 gene polymorphism (particularly for rs4646903) might be associated with RPL risk, especially among South Asians. Further studies are required to confirm this association.

CYP1A1, CYP2E1 and EPHX1 polymorphisms in sporadic colorectal neoplasms

AIM

To investigate the contribution of polymorphisms in the CYP1A1, CYP2E1 and EPHX1 genes on sporadic colorectal cancer (SCRC) risk.

METHODS

Six hundred forty-one individuals (227 patients with SCRC and 400 controls) were enrolled in the study. The variables analyzed were age, gender, tobacco and alcohol consumption, and clinical and histopathological tumor parameters. The CYP1A1*2A, CYP1A1*2C CYP2E1*5B and CYP2E1*6 polymorphisms were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The EPHX1 Tyr113His, EPHX1 His139Arg and CYP1A1*2C polymorphisms were detected by real-time PCR. Chi-squared test and binary logistic regression were used in the statistical analysis. Haplotype analysis was conducted using the Haploview program, version 2.05.

RESULTS

Age over 62 years was a risk factor for SCRC development (OR = 7.54, 95%CI: 4.94-11.50, P < 0.01). Male individuals were less susceptible to SCRC (OR = 0.55, 95%CI: 0.35-0.85, P < 0.01). The CYP2E1*5B polymorphism was associated with SCRC in the codominant (heterozygous genotype: OR = 2.66, 95%CI: 1.64-4.32, P < 0.01), dominant (OR = 2.82, 95%CI: 1.74-4.55, P < 0.01), overdominant (OR = 2.58, 95%CI: 1.59-4.19, P < 0.01), and log-additive models (OR = 2.84, 95%CI: 1.78-4.52, P < 0.01). The CYP2E1*6 polymorphism was associated with an increased SCRC risk in codominant (heterozygous genotype: OR = 2.81, 95%CI: 1.84-4.28, P < 0.01; homozygous polymorphic: OR = 7.32, 95%CI: 1.85-28.96, P < 0.01), dominant (OR = 2.97, 95%CI: 1.97-4.50, P < 0.01), recessive (OR = 5.26, 95%CI: 1.35-20.50, P = 0.016), overdominant (OR = 2.64, 95%CI: 1.74-4.01, P < 0.01), and log-additive models (OR = 2.78, 95%CI: 1.91-4.06, P < 0.01). The haplotype formed by the minor alleles of the CYP2E1*5B (C) and CYP2E1*6 (A) polymorphisms was associated with SCRC (P = 0.002). However, the CYP1A1*2A, CYP1A1*2C, EPHX1 Tyr113His and EPHX1 His139Arg polymorphisms were not associated with SCRC.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the results demonstrated that CYP2E1*5B and CYP2E1*6 minor alleles play a role in the development of SCRC.

The Association of CYP1A1 Gene With Cervical Cancer and Additional SNP-SNP Interaction in Chinese Women

AIMS

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between CYP1A1 gene polymorphism and cervical cancer risk, and the impact of SNP-SNP interaction on cervical cancer risk in Chinese women.

METHODS

A total of 728 females with a mean age of 60.1 ± 14.5 years old were selected, including 360 cervical cancer patients and 368 normal controls. Logistic regression was performed to investigate association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and cervical cancer risk. Generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) was used to analyze the SNP-SNP interaction.

RESULTS

Logistic analysis showed a significant association between rs4646903 and increased cervical cancer risk. The carriers of homozygous mutant of rs4646903 polymorphism revealed increased cervical cancer risk than those with wild-type homozygotes, OR (95%CI) were 1.45 (1.20-1.95). There was a significant two-locus model (P = 0.0107) involving rs4646903 and rs1048943, indicating a potential SNP-SNP interaction between rs4646903 and rs1048943. Overall, the two-locus models had a cross-validation consistency of 10 of 10, and had the testing accuracy of 60.72%. Subjects with TC or CC of rs4646903 and AG or GG of rs1048943 genotype have the highest cervical cancer risk, compared to subjects with TT of rs4646903 and AA of rs1048943 genotype, OR (95%CI) was 2.03 (1.42-2.89).

CONCLUSIONS

rs4646903 minor alleles and interaction between rs4646903 and rs1048943 were associated with increased cervical cancer risk.

Cigarette smoking, dietary habits and genetic polymorphisms in GSTT1, GSTM1 and CYP1A1 metabolic genes: A case-control study in oncohematological diseases

AIM

To analyze the association between oncohematological diseases and GSTT1/GSTM1/CYP1A1 polymorphisms, dietary habits and smoking, in an argentine hospital-based case-control study.

METHODS

This hospital-based case-control study involved 125 patients with oncohematological diseases and 310 control subjects. A questionnaire was used to obtain sociodemographic data and information about habits. Blood samples were collected, and DNA was extracted using salting out methods. Deletions in GSTT1 and GSTM1 (null genotypes) were addressed by PCR. CYP1A1 MspI polymorphism was detected by PCR-RFLP. Odds ratio (OR) and 95%CI were calculated to estimate the association between each variable studied and oncohematological disease.

RESULTS

Women showed lower risk of disease compared to men (OR 0.52, 95%CI: 0.34-0.82, P = 0.003). Higher levels of education (> 12 years) were significantly associated with an increased risk, compared to complete primary school or less (OR 3.68, 95%CI: 1.82-7.40, P < 0.001 adjusted for age and sex). With respect to tobacco, none of the smoking categories showed association with oncohematological diseases. Regarding dietary habits, consumption of grilled/barbecued meat 3 or more times per month showed significant association with an increased risk of disease (OR 1.72, 95%CI: 1.08-2.75, P = 0.02). Daily consumption of coffee also was associated with an increased risk (OR 1.77, 95%CI: 1.03-3.03, P = 0.03). Results for GSTT1, GSTM1 and CYP1A1 polymorphisms showed no significant association with oncohematological diseases. When analyzing the interaction between polymorphisms and tobacco smoking or dietary habits, no statistically significant associations that modify disease risk were found.

CONCLUSION

We reported an increased risk of oncohematological diseases associated with meat and coffee intake. We did not find significant associations between genetic polymorphisms and blood cancer.

Germline HOXB13 p.Gly84Glu mutation and cancer susceptibility: a pooled analysis of 25 epidemiological studies with 145,257 participates

Numerous studies have investigated association between the germline HOXB13 p.Gly84Glu mutation and cancer risk. However, the results were inconsistent. Herein, we performed this meta-analysis to get a precise conclusion of the associations. A comprehensive literature search was conducted through Medline (mainly Pubmed), Embase, Cochrane Library databases. Crude odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by STATA 12.1 software to evaluate the association of HOXB13 p.Gly84Glu mutation and cancer susceptibility. Then, 25 studies including 51,390 cases and 93,867 controls were included, and there was significant association between HOXB13 p.Gly84Glu mutation and overall cancer risk (OR = 2.872, 95% CI = 2.121-3.888, P < 0.001), particularly in prostate cancer (OR = 3.248, 95% CI = 2.313-4.560, P < 0.001), while no association was found in breast (OR = 1.424, 95% CI = 0.776-2.613, P = 0.253) and colorectal cancers (OR = 2.070, 95% CI = 0.485-8.841, P = 0.326). When we stratified analysis by ethnicity, significant association was found in Caucasians (OR = 2.673, 95%CI = 1.920-3.720, P < 0.001). Further well-designed with large samples and other various cancers should be performed to validate our results.

The association of CYP1A1 genetic polymorphisms and additional gene-gene interaction with ischemic stroke in the eastern Han of China

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between CYP1A1 gene polymorphism and ischaemic stroke (IS) risk, and the impact of gene-gene interaction on IS risk based on a Chinese Han case-control study. A total of 1162 subjects (612 men and 550 women), with a mean age of 63.1 ± 12.5 years old, were selected, including 580 IS patients and 582 normal controls. Logistic regression was performed to investigate association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and IS risk, and generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) was used to analyze the gene-gene interaction. Logistic regression analysis showed that the frequency for rs4646903 minor alleles was lower in cases than that in normal controls, and C allele of rs4646903 was 20.7 % in ischemic stroke cases and 27.1 % in controls subjects (p < 0.001). Logistic analysis showed the significant association between genotypes of variants in rs4646903 and decreased ischemic stroke risk. GMDR analysis indicated that there was a significant two-locus model (p = 0.0107) involving rs4646903 and rs1048943, indicating a potential gene-gene interaction between rs4646903 and rs1048943. Overall, the two- locus models had a cross-validation consistency of 9 of 10, and had the testing accuracy of 60.72 %. Subjects with TC or CC of rs4646903 and AG or GG of rs1048943 genotype have lowest ischemic stroke risk, compared to subjects with TT of rs4646903 and AA of rs1048943 genotype, and OR (95 % CI) was 0.63 (0.42-0.89). rs4646903 minor alleles and interaction between rs4646903 and rs1048943 were associated with decreased IS risk.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Osteoarthritis: An Overview and a Meta-Analysis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a complex disorder characterized by degenerative articular cartilage and is largely attributed to genetic risk factors. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are common DNA variants that have shown promising and efficiency, compared with positional cloning, to map candidate genes of complex diseases, including OA. In this study, we aim to provide an overview of multiple SNPs from a number of genes that have recently been linked to OA susceptibility. We also performed a comprehensive meta-analysis to evaluate the association of SNP rs7639618 of double von Willebrand factor A domains (DVWA) gene with OA susceptibility. A systematic search of studies on the association of SNPs with susceptibility to OA was conducted in PubMed and Google scholar. Studies subjected to meta-analysis include human and case-control studies that met the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium model and provide sufficient data to calculate an odds ratio (OR). A total of 9500 OA cases and 9365 controls in 7 case-control studies relating to SNP rs7639618 were included in this study and the ORs with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Over 50 SNPs from different genes have been shown to be associated with either hip (23), or knee (20), or both (13) OA. The ORs of these SNPs for OA and the subtypes are not consistent. As to SNP rs7639618 of DVWA, increased knee OA risk was observed in all genetic models analyzed. Specifically, people from Asian with G-allele showed significantly increased risk of knee OA (A versus G: OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.13-1.46; AA versus GG: OR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.25-2.05; GA versus GG: OR = 1.31, 95% CI 1.18-1.44; AA versus GA+GG: OR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.12-1.61; AA+GA versus GG: OR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.19-1.64), but not in Caucasians or with hip OA. Our results suggest that multiple SNPs play different roles in the pathogenesis of OA and its subtypes; SNP rs7639618 of DVWA gene is associated with a significantly increased risk of knee OA in Asians. Given the limited sample size, further studies are needed to evaluate this observation.

Quantitative assessment of the association between AXIN2 rs2240308 polymorphism and cancer risk

Axin2 is involved in the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway and implicated in cancer development and progression. The association between AXIN2 rs2240308 polymorphism and cancer risk has been examined in several case-control studies, but the conclusions were conflicting. Here we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the role of rs2240308 in cancer risk. A total of 8 studies were included in this meta-analysis (1559 cancer cases and 1503 controls). The pooled odds ratios (OR) and the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were assessed to evaluate the association of the AXIN2 rs2240308 polymorphism with a susceptibility to cancer. A significantly decreased overall cancer risk was observed in the homozygous (TT vs. CC), heterozygous (CT vs. CC), dominant (CT+TT vs. CC) and allelic (T vs. C) models (P < 0.005), rather than that in the recessive (TT vs. CT+CC) model (P = 0.092). AXIN2 polymorphism rs2240308 was also associated with decreased cancer risk under all five models in lung cancer. However, AXIN2 rs2240308 polymorphism was not associated with cancer risk under any above model in Turkish population and under homozygous, heterozygous, recessive models in Japanese population. These findings indicate that AXIN2 rs2240308 polymorphism significantly and race-specifically correlates with decreased cancer risk.

Genetic polymorphisms in estrogen-related genes and the risk of breast cancer among Han Chinese women

Exposure to high levels of estrogen is considered an important risk factor for susceptibility to breast cancer. Common polymorphisms in genes that affect estrogen levels may be associated with breast cancer risk, but no comprehensive study has been performed among Han Chinese women. In the present study, 32 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in estrogen-related genes were genotyped using the MassARRAY IPLEX platform in 1076 Han Chinese women. Genotypic and allelic frequencies were compared between case and control groups. Unconditional logistic regression was used to assess the effects of SNPs on breast cancer risk. Associations were also evaluated for breast cancer subtypes stratified by estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status. Case-control analysis showed a significant relation between heterozygous genotypes of rs700519 and rs2069522 and breast cancer risk (OR = 0.723, 95% CI = 0.541-0.965, p = 0.028 and OR = 1.500, 95% CI = 1.078-2.087, p = 0.016, respectively). Subgroup comparisons revealed that rs2446405 and rs17268974 were related to ER status, and rs130021 was associated with PR status. Our findings suggest that rs700519 and rs2069522 are associated with susceptibility to breast cancer among the Han Chinese population and have a cumulative effect with three other identified SNPs. Further genetic and functional studies are needed to identify additional SNPs, and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.