Contributory role of five common polymorphisms of RAGE and APE1 genes in lung cancer among Han Chinese

The impact of receptor of advanced glycation end-products polymorphisms on prostate cancer progression and clinicopathological characteristics

The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) overexpression was suggested to be associated with prostate cancer development and poor prognosis. In this study, we focused on the correlations between the clinicopathological characteristics and susceptibility of prostate cancer and RAGE single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In 579 prostate cancer patients, the RAGE SNPs rs1800625, rs1800624, rs2070600 and rs184003 in patients with or without grade group upgrade were analysed with real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results demonstrated that the prostate cancer patients who carried the RAGE SNPs rs2070600 'GA' genotypic variants were significantly associated with lower risk to develop grade group upgrade. Moreover, patients with the RAGE rs1800625 'TC + CC' genotypic variants were associated with higher risk of perineural invasion. In 343 prostate cancer patients who carried the RAGE rs1800625 'TC + CC' genotype without grade group upgrade were correlated with higher risk of biochemical recurrence and perineural invasion. In the analysis of TCGA database, significant differences of the RAGE mRNA level were found between the normal controls and prostate cancer patients (p < 0.0001), and the pathologic stage N1 and N0 patients (p = 0.0027). The prostate cancer patients with high RAGE expression were associated with lower overall survival rate (p = 0.025). In conclusion, our results have revealed that the RAGE SNPs rs2070600 and rs1800625 were associated with the grade group upgrade of prostate cancer and clinical status. The RAGE polymorphisms may provide as a pivotal predictor to evaluate prostate cancer disease progression and prognosis.

Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products (RAGE) and Its Polymorphic Variants as Predictive Diagnostic and Prognostic Markers of NSCLCs: a Perspective

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) account for ~ 85% of all lung cancers, and 5-year survival in Europe and the USA is ~ 13-17%. In this review, we focus on the significance of Receptor for Advanced Glycation End products (RAGE) as a diagnostic or post-therapeutic prognostic marker for various forms of NSCLCs.

RECENT FINDINGS

The lungs have the highest levels of basal RAGE expression in mammals. The physiologic RAGE in lungs may be involved in adhesion and spreading of AT-1 cells and maintenance of pulmonary homeostasis. However, high level expression of RAGE complicates various diseases including acute lung injury. In NSCLCs, while a number of studies report decreased RAGE expression, inferring a protective role, others suggest that RAGE expression may contribute to NSCLC pathogenesis. Genetic polymorphisms of RAGE are reportedly associated with NSCLC development and complications. RAGE and its polymorphic variants may be useful diagnostic or post-therapeutic prognostic markers of NSCLCs.

Perspectives on signaling for biological- and processed food-related advanced glycation end-products and its role in cancer progression

Receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) is a multifunctional receptor binds a broad spectrum of ligands and mediates responses to cell damage and stress conditions. It also activates programs leading to acute and chronic inflammation and implicated in several pathological diseases, including cancer. In this review, we presented the non-enzymatic reaction of reducing sugar with the amino groups of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. This reaction initiates a complex series of rearrangements and dehydrations, and then produces a class of irreversibly cross-linked heterogeneous fluorescent moieties, termed advanced glycation end products (AGEs). There is a growing body of evidence that interaction of processes food-related AGEs with a cell surface receptor RAGE brings out the generation of oxidative stress and subsequently evokes proliferative, angiogenic and inflammatory reactions, thereby being involved in the development and progression of various types of cancers. This review is an insightful assessment of molecular mechanisms through which RAGE signaling contributes to the enhancement and survival of the tumorigenic cell. Here we summarize the procurement of individual ligands of RAGE like amphoterin, calcium-binding proteins, and resultant mediation of RAGE signaling pathway, which partially can elucidate the elevated risk of several cancers. Besides, we summarize many factors or conditions including APE1 (apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1), retinol mutations, retinoblastoma (Rb), proteinase 3 (PR3) hypoxia and so on through which RAGE signaling presents an establishment of cancerous environment. Additionally, we also reviewed some recent findings that give shreds of evidence for presenting the role of RAGE and its ligands in the advanced stage of cancers.

Association between apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 rs1760944 T>G polymorphism and susceptibility of cancer: a meta-analysis involving 21764 subjects

BACKGROUND

Previous case-control studies have suggested that apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) rs1760944 T>G polymorphism may be associated with cancer risk. Here, we carried out an updated meta-analysis to focus on the correlation between APE1 rs1760944 T>G locus and the risk of cancer.

METHODS

We used the crude odds ratios (ORs) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to evaluate the possible relationship between the APE1 rs1760944 T>G polymorphism and cancer risk. Heterogeneity, publication bias and sensitivity analysis were also harnessed to check the potential bias of the present study.

RESULTS

Twenty-three independent studies involving 10166 cancer cases and 11598 controls were eligible for this pooled analysis. We found that APE1 rs1760944 T>G polymorphism decreased the risk of cancer in four genetic models (G vs. T: OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.83-0.92; P<0.001; GG vs. TT: OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.69-0.86; P<0.001; GG/TG vs. TT: OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.77-0.89, P<0.001 and GG vs. TT/TG: OR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.80-0.92, P<0.001). Results of subgroup analyses also demonstrated that this single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) modified the risk among lung cancer, breast cancer, osteosarcoma, and Asians. Evidence of publication bias was found in the present study. When we treated the publication bias with 'trim-and-fill' method, the adjusted ORs and CIs were not significantly changed.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, current evidence highlights that the APE1 rs1760944 T>G polymorphism is a protective factor for cancer susceptibility. In the future, case-control studies with detailed risk factors are needed to confirm or refute our findings.

The Gly82Ser mutation in AGER contributes to pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis in combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) in Japanese patients

The dominant pathogenesis underlying the combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) remains unresolved. The receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) is highly expressed in lung tissues and interacts with distinct multiple ligands, implicating it in certain lung diseases. To elucidate the pathogenesis of CPFE, we genotyped three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs: rs2070600, rs1800625, and rs2853807) of the gene encoding RAGE (AGER) in 111 CPFE patients and 337 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients of Japanese by using StepOne Real-Time PCR System for SNP genotyping assay. Serum levels of soluble RAGE (sRAGE) were measured by ELISA. We found that the allele frequency of rs2070600 was significantly different between the two groups [corrected P (Pc) = 0.015]. In addition, the minor allele was associated with CPFE patients relative to COPD patients in a dominant effect model (Odds Ratio = 1.93; Pc = 0.018). Moreover, the serum sRAGE level was significantly lower in the CPFE group than the COPD group (P = 0.014). The rs2070600 minor allele was significantly associated with reduced sRAGE level in CPFE patients and independently affected sRAGE level reduction in this group (P = 0.020). We concluded that the AGER rs2070600 minor allele (Gly82Ser mutation) is associated with the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis in CPFE in Japanese patients.

Association of RAGE rs1800625 Polymorphism and Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis of 18 Case-Control Studies

Background

Accumulating evidence suggests that the rs1800625 polymorphism in RAGE promoter region might be associated with cancer risk; however, data from different studies show conflicting results. Here, a meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the associations between RAGE rs1800625 polymorphism and cancer risk.

Material/Methods

We searched Embase (Excerpt Medica Database), PubMed, and CNKI (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure) databases until March 15, 2019 to identify potential studies for the meta-analysis.

Results

Eighteen eligible studies were included in the current meta-analysis, representing 6246 cases and 6819 controls. Pooled analysis showed positive correlation between the RAGE rs1800625 polymorphism and susceptibility of cancer in recessive genetic model [CC versus TC+TT: odds ratio (OR)=1.397, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.031–1.894, P=0.031]. Subgroup analysis revealed this association in the Asian, but not Caucasian population, and this correlation was not detected in either breast or lung cancer. Sensitivity analysis indicated unstable results, which should be interpreted with caution. No publication bias was observed.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the RAGE rs1800625 polymorphism was associated with increased overall cancer risk in Asians in recessive genetic model. However, large-scale and well-designed studies in different populations and diverse cancer types are needed for a precise conclusion.

A multicenter matched case-control analysis on seven polymorphisms from HMGB1 and RAGE genes in predicting hepatocellular carcinoma risk

Based on 540 hepatocellular carcinoma patients and 540 age- and gender-matched controls, we tested the hypothesis that high mobility group protein box1 (HMGB1) and the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) genes are two potential candidate susceptibility genes for hepatocellular carcinoma in a multicenter hospital-based case-control analysis. The genotypes of seven widely-studied polymorphisms were determined, and their distributions respected the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The mutant alleles of two polymorphisms, rs1045411 in HMGB1 gene and rs2070600 in RAGE gene, had significantly higher frequencies in patients than in controls (P < 0.001), with the power to detect this significance of being over 99.9%. Moreover, the above two polymorphisms increased the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma significantly, particularly for rs2070600 under the additive (odds ratio [OR] = 1.77; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.34-2.32; P < 0.001) and dominant (OR = 1.75; 95% CI: 1.23-2.50; P = 0.002) models after adjusting for body mass index, smoking and drinking. Haplotype analysis showed that the T-C-T haplotype (rs1045411-rs2249825-rs1415125) in HMGB1 gene was associated with a 2.47-fold (95% CI: 1.41-4.34; P = 0.002) increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma compared with the commonest C-C-T haplotype after adjustment. In RAGE gene, the T-T-A-G (rs1800625-rs1800624-rs2070600-rs184003) (adjusted OR; 95% CI; P: 1.75; 1.02-3.03; 0.045) and T-T-A-T (adjusted OR; 95% CI; P: 1.95; 1.01-3.76; 0.048) haplotypes were associated with a marginally increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma compared with the commonest T-T-G-G haplotype. In summary, we identified two risk-associated polymorphisms (rs1045411 and rs2070600), and more importantly a joint impact of seven polymorphisms from the HMGB1/RAGE axis in susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma.

Association between the APEX1 Asp148Glu polymorphism and prostate cancer, especially among Asians: a new evidence-based analysis

Background

Prostate cancer (Pca) is a serious disease associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. As a causative factor, the Asp148Glu polymorphism has been identified in the apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease (APEX1) gene. However, the association among Asians is considered controversial.

Methods

Evidence for this association was obtained from the PubMed, Embase, HuGENet and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. In the analysis, four models were applied. Associations between the APEX1 polymorphism and the invasiveness of Pca based on the Gleason score, prostate-specific antigen expression and clinical status were also evaluated.

Results

Seven articles were included in the analysis. Positive results were not only discovered in the pooled analysis, but also among patients of mixed descentand Asian descent. However, after considering the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE), we observed only a 1.557-fold increase in Pca risk for subjects of Asian descent(GG vs. TT: OR=1.557, 95%CI=1.069-2.268) under the co-dominant model. Additionally, we did not also find any relationship between the APEX1 Asp148Glu polymorphism and invasive Pca risk.

Conclusion

On the basis of the function of the APEX1 Asp148Glu polymorphism, recent studies, and our results, we suggest that the APEX1 Asp148Glu polymorphism might be important in stimulating the development of Pca rather than its invasiveness in various populations, especially for Asians.

Long non-coding RNA AGER-1 functionally upregulates the innate immunity gene AGER and approximates its anti-tumor effect in lung cancer

Little is known about long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) related to innate immunity in lung cancer. The advanced glycosylation end-product specific receptor (AGER) belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily, and currently, is the only innate immune pattern-recognition receptor whose abnormal expression has been detected in lung cancer. We aimed to explore the lncRNA that is related to AGER and test its effect on lung carcinogenesis. We selected one lncRNA whose chromosome location is in close proximity to AGER namely lnc-AGER-1 (defined as lncAGER). The expression of lncAGER was tested in 276 pairs of lung cancer tissues and adjacent lung normal tissues, and its correlation with lung cancer clinical progress was analyzed. A series of assays were further used to assess the biological function of lncAGER on lung cancer development, tumor immunity and autophagy. LncAGER expression was moderately correlated with AGER expression (r = 0.360, P = 2.15 × 10^-18 ) underlying a mechanism that lncAGER upregulates AGER by competitively binding to miRNA-185. LncAGER was significantly down-regulated in 76.4% of lung cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues due to promoter hypermethylation. Over-expression of the lncRNA resulted in significant decreases in proliferation rate, migration ability, colony formation efficiency of lung cancer cells and tumor growth in nude mice. Notably, lncAGER possibly conduced to enhancement of cytotoxic effect of THP1. Additionally, the lncRNA also promoted cell apoptosis by strengthening autophagy. Taken together, these observations suggest that lncAGER has an inhibitory effect on lung cancer development via AGER, which may serve as a target for lung cancer treatment.

AGER rs2070600 polymorphism elevates neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and mortality in metastatic lung adenocarcinoma

Background

The receptor for advanced glycation end-product (RAGE) is a multi-ligand receptor involved in inflammation. In the gene encoding RAGE (AGER), there are three well-known polymorphisms; rs2070600, rs1800624, and rs1800625, which potentially increase the risk of lung cancer. Remarkably, AGER rs2070600 polymorphism, which increases ligand-binding affinity, is a potential prognostic factor in non-small cell lung cancer, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) reflects tumor-associated systemic inflammatory conditions; high ratios are associated with poor prognosis in multiple cancers. Additionally, some humoral factors via RAGE-signaling are associated with elevated NLR in cancer patients.

Objectives

Associations of AGER polymorphisms with disease susceptibility, prognosis, and NLR were investigated in Japanese patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

Methods

We included 189 patients with lung adenocarcinoma, 96 of which had distant metastases, and 303 healthy controls. The correlation between AGER polymorphisms (rs2070600, rs1800624, rs1800625) and disease susceptibility and factors elevating the mortality and NLR in patients with metastases were evaluated.

Results

Only the minor allele of rs2070600 was associated with a higher NLR (β = 0.209, p = 0.043) and a poor prognosis (Hazard ratio = 2.06, 95% Confidence interval = 1.09-3.77, p = 0.028) in patients with metastatic disease, independently of background characteristics, including EGFR mutation status. All three polymorphisms were not associated with the risk of lung adenocarcinoma.

Conclusions

The AGER rs2070600 polymorphism was independently associated with systemic inflammation and poor prognosis in patients with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma.

rs1760944 Polymorphism in the APE1 Region is Associated with Risk and Prognosis of Osteosarcoma in the Chinese Han Population

The effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at APE1 have been investigated in several types of cancer. However, no reports of the association of APE1 polymorphisms with osteosarcoma (OS) have been published. The present study was designed to determine whether APE1 polymorphisms (rs1130409, rs1760944, rs1760941, rs2275008, rs17111750) are associated with OS. A 2-stage case-control study was performed in a total of 378 OS patients and 616 normal controls. Individuals carrying TG and GG genotypes had significantly lower risk of developing OS than those with the WT genotype TT at rs1760944 (OR = 0.65, 95%CI 0.49–0.86; OR = 0.50, 95%CI 0.34–0.74, respectively). OS patients with allele G at rs1760944 were less susceptible to low differentiation tumor and metastasis (OR = 0.73, 95%CI 0.54–0.98; OR = 0.63, 95%CI 0.43–0.92, respectively). Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank results revealed that OS patients harboring genotype GG and G allele at rs1760944 had better survival (P < 0.001 for both). In addition, the APE1 protein was underexpressed in individuals who carried G allele at rs1760944. This study suggested that APE1 rs1760944 polymorphism is associated with decreased risk of developing OS and better survival of OS patients.

An insight on the association of glycation with hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepato-cellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the frequent cause of cancer-related death worldwide and dominant form of primary liver cancer. However, the reason behind a steady increase in the incidence of this form of cancer remains elusive. Glycation has been reported to play a significant role in the induction of several chronic diseases including cancer. Several risk factors that could induce HCC have been reported in the literature. Deciphering the complex patho-physiology associated with HCC is expected to provide new targets for the early detection, prevention, progression and recurrence. Even-though, some of the causative aspects of HCC is known, the advanced glycation end products (AGEs) related mechanism still needs further research. In the current manuscript, we have tried to uncover the possible role of glycation in the induction of HCC. In the light of the available scientific literature, we advocate in-depth comprehensive studies which will shed light towards mechanistic association of glycation with HCC.

Evaluation of functional RAGE gene polymorphisms in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia-A case-control study from Iran

We examined the possible relationship between three RAGE polymorphisms, -429C/T, -374 T/A, and 63-bp deletion, and susceptibility to childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in an Iranian population. This study included 75 ALL patients and 115 healthy subjects. Genotyping was performed using HEXA-ARMS-polymerase chain reaction. We found no significant association among RAGE gene polymorphisms and the risk for ALL at genotype, allelic and haplotype levels (P > 0.05). The hemoglobin levels were higher in patients with RAGE -374 TT than in the TA carriers (P = 0.019). Our results demonstrated that the RAGE gene variations were not associated with risk of pediatrics ALL.

Genetically lowered concentrations of circulating sRAGE might cause an increased risk of cancer: Meta-analysis using Mendelian randomization

Objectives

To undertake a systematic meta-analysis of all variants in the gene encoding receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) to summarize their associations with cancer risk and changes in the levels of circulating soluble RAGE (sRAGE), with the aim of determining possible causality between circulating sRAGE and cancer risk.

Methods

Articles written in English were retrieved from MEDLINE® and EMBASE® databases. Two researchers independently identified eligible articles and extracted the data (analysed using STATA® software version 12.0).

Results

Fifteen articles qualified for inclusion in the meta-analysis of the RAGE–cancer association and three examined the RAGE–sRAGE relationship. The 82Ser/82Ser genotype was significantly associated with overall cancer risk compared with the 82Gly/Gly genotype (odds ratio 1.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.46, 2.10). Carriers of the 82Ser/82Ser genotype had significantly reduced circulating sRAGE concentrations compared with the 82Gly/82Gly genotype. Mendelian randomization analysis demonstrated that a reduction of 100, 200 and 300 pg/ml in circulating sRAGE concentrations was associated with a 1.11-fold (95% CI 1.06, 1.25), 1.24-fold (95% CI 1.11, 1.57) and 1.38-fold (95% CI 1.18, 1.96) increased risk of developing cancer, respectively.

Conclusions

Genetically lowered concentrations of circulating sRAGE might cause an increased risk of cancer.

Effects of RAGE Gene Polymorphisms on the Risk and Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy of the liver, whose heterogeneous incidence reflects genetic variations among individuals in the main risk factors. The receptor for advanced glycosylation endproducts (RAGE) is a multiligand receptor and known to be implicated in various pathogenic conditions, such as diabetes, inflammatory disorder, Alzheimer disease, and cancer. In this study, the impact of RAGE gene polymorphisms on the susceptibility to hepatocarcinogenesis was explored. Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs184003 (1704G > T), rs1800624 (-374T > A), rs1800625 (-429T > C), and rs2070600 (Gly82Ser), as well as 1 gene polymorphism of RAGE gene, a 63 bp deletion allele (-407 to -345) were analyzed between 300 cancer-free subjects and 265 HCC cases. We detected a significant association of rs1800625 with the increased risk of HCC (odds ratio [OR], 2.565; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.492-4.409 and adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.568; 95% CI, 1.418-4.653). However, patients who possess at least 1 polymorphic allele of rs1800625 are less prone to develop late-stage (stage III/IV, OR, 0.502; 95% CI, 0.243-1.037; P = 0.059 and AOR, 0.461; 95% CI, 0.219-0.970; P = 0.041) and large-size tumors (OR, 0.398; 95% CI, 0.183-0.864; P = 0.017 and AOR, 0.351; 95% CI, 0.157-0.781; P = 0.010). Furthermore, individuals bearing specific haplotypes of 4 RAGE SNPs tested are more inclined to have HCC. In conclusion, our data suggest a correlation of RAGE gene polymorphism rs1800625 with the early stage of liver tumorigenesis and implicate its protective role in the progression of HCC.

Association between Dietary Vitamin C Intake and Risk of Prostate Cancer: A Meta-analysis Involving 103,658 Subjects

We attempted to systematically determine the association between dietary intake of vitamin C and risk of prostate cancer. PubMed and Embase were searched to obtain eligible studies published before February 2015. Cohort or case-control studies that reported the relative risk (RR)/odds ratio (OR) estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between vitamin C intake and prostate cancer risk were included. Eighteen studies regarding dietary vitamin C intake were finally obtained, with a total of 103,658 subjects. The pooled RR of prostate cancer for the highest versus the lowest categories of dietary vitamin C intake was 0.89 (95%CI: 0.83-0.94; p = 0.000) with evidence of a moderate heterogeneity (I(2) = 39.4%, p = 0.045). Meta-regression analysis suggested that study design accounted for a major proportion of the heterogeneity. Stratifying the overall study according to study design yielded pooled RRs of 0.92 (95%CI: 0.86-0.99, p = 0.027) among cohort studies and 0.80 (95%CI: 0.71-0.89, p = 0.000) among case-control studies, with no heterogeneity in either subgroup. In the dose-response analysis, an inverse linear relationship between dietary vitamin C intake and prostate cancer risk was established, with a 150 mg/day dietary vitamin C intake conferred RRs of 0.91 (95%CI: 0.84-0.98, p = 0.018) in the overall studies, 0.95 (95%CI: 0.90-0.99, p = 0.039) in cohort studies, and 0.79 (95%CI: 0.69-0.91, p = 0.001) in case-control studies. In conclusion, intake of vitamin C from food was inversely associated with prostate cancer risk in this meta-analysis.

Association between EHBP1 rs721048(A>G) polymorphism and prostate cancer susceptibility: a meta-analysis of 17 studies involving 150,678 subjects

Background

EHBP1 rs721048(A) was first identified as a prostate cancer (PCa) risk in Caucasians by genome-wide association study, but subsequent replication studies involving Caucasian and other ethnicities did not produce consistent results. The aim of this study was to obtain a more definite association between rs721048(A) and PCa risk.

Methods

We comprehensively searched several databases updated to September 2014, including PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Google Scholar. Two authors independently screened and reviewed the eligibility of each study. The quality of the included studies was assessed by the Newcastle–Ottawa scale. The association of rs721048(A) and PCa risk was assessed by pooling odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

A total of 17 studies, including 48,135 cases and 102,543 controls, published between 2008 and 2014 were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, the pooled analysis demonstrated that rs721048(A) was significantly associated with the risk of PCa under the allele model (OR=1.14, 95% CI=1.11–1.17, P=0.000). Subgroup analysis based on ethnicity revealed a significant association between rs721048(A) and PCa in Caucasian (OR=1.14, 95% CI=1.11–1.16, P=0.000), African descent (OR=1.11, 95% CI=1.01–1.23, P=0.025), and Asian (OR=1.35, 95% CI=1.12–1.64, P=0.002).

Conclusion

Our results provided strong evidence that rs721048(A) could be a risk factor for PCa.

Circulating interleukin-6 and cancer: A meta-analysis using Mendelian randomization

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays a contributory role in the progression and severity of many forms of cancer; it however remains unclear whether the relevance between circulating IL-6 and cancer is causal. We therefore meta-analyzed published articles in this regard using IL-6 gene -174G/C variant as an instrument. Seventy-eight and six articles were eligible for the association of -174G/C variant with cancer and circulating IL-6, respectively. Overall analyses failed to identify any significance between -174G/C and cancer risk. In Asians, carriers of the -174CC genotype had an 1.95-fold increased cancer risk compared with the -174GG genotype carriers (P = 0.009). By cancer type, significance was only attained for liver cancer with the -174C allele conferring a reduced risk under allelic (odds ratio or OR = 0.74; P = 0.001), homozygous genotypic (OR = 0.59; P = 0.029) and dominant (OR = 0.67; P = 0.004) models. Carriers of the -174CC genotype (weighted mean difference or WMD = −4.23 pg/mL; P < 0.001) and -174C allele (WMD = −3.43 pg/mL; P < 0.001) had circulating IL-6 reduced significantly compared with the non-carriers. In further Mendelian randomization analysis, a reduction of 1 pg/mL in circulating IL-6 was significantly associated with an 12% reduced risk of liver cancer. Long-term genetically-reduced circulating IL-6 might be causally associated with a lower risk of liver cancer.

Scavenger Receptors: Emerging Roles in Cancer Biology and Immunology

Scavenger receptors constitute a large family of evolutionally conserved protein molecules that are structurally and functionally diverse. Although scavenger receptors were originally identified based on their capacity to scavenge modified lipoproteins, these molecules have been shown to recognize and bind to a broad spectrum of ligands, including modified and unmodified host-derived molecules or microbial components. As a major subset of innate pattern recognition receptors, scavenger receptors are mainly expressed on myeloid cells and function in a wide range of biological processes, such as endocytosis, adhesion, lipid transport, antigen presentation, and pathogen clearance. In addition to playing a crucial role in maintenance of host homeostasis, scavenger receptors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of diseases, e.g., atherosclerosis, neurodegeneration, or metabolic disorders. Emerging evidence has begun to reveal these receptor molecules as important regulators of tumor behavior and host immune responses to cancer. This review summarizes our current understanding on the newly identified, distinct functions of scavenger receptors in cancer biology and immunology. The potential of scavenger receptors as diagnostic biomarkers and novel targets for therapeutic interventions to treat malignancies is also highlighted.

Association of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1)-2518A>G polymorphism with susceptibility to coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis

We attempted to systematically elucidate the association between monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) -2518A>G polymorphism and risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). Eligible studies were identified through PubMed, EBSCO, and Web of Science Databases. The magnitude of MCP-1 polymorphism effect and its possible mode of action on CAD were estimated. The odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were pooled in a specific genetic model to assess the association. A total of 21 studies were involved. There was significant gene effect on CAD risk in the overall population (likelihood ratio test: p < 0.0001). Patients with GG and AG genotypes had 1.435 (95% CI: 1.183-1.740) and 1.087 (95% CI: 1.008-1.172) times higher risk of CAD than those with AA genotype. These gene effects suggested a recessive model to be appropriate. The pooled OR was 1.362 (95% CI: 1.137-1.631; puncorrected = 0.001, pFDR = 0.005) in the recessive model. In the ethnicity-stratified analysis, significant association was observed in the Caucasian population (OR = 1.492; 95% CI: 1.106-2.014; puncorrected = 0.009, pFDR = 0.015), whereas no statistical significant association was detected in the Asian population (adjusted p = 0.124). The results suggested that MCP-1 -2518A>G polymorphism may be associated with susceptibility to CAD, especially in Caucasians.

Association of RAGE polymorphisms and cancer risk: a meta-analysis of 27 studies

The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), a member of immunoglobulin superfamily, has been proved to stimulate survival, growth, and metastatic spread of cancers cells. Evidence suggested that the 82G/S, -374T/A, and -429T/C polymorphisms in RAGE promoter region might affect the risk of cancer; however, data from epidemiological studies showed conflicting results that remain to be further clarified. This meta-analysis was performed to derive a more precise estimation of 82G/S, -374T/A, and -429T/C polymorphisms and risk of cancer. A comprehensive electronic search was conducted for articles published up until December 2, 2014, in Medline (PubMed), Embase, the Cochrane Library and Google Scholar. A total of 12 case-control articles were included in this meta-analysis, providing 3,374 cases and 3,757 controls for 82G/S, 2,936 cases and 3,338 controls for -374T/A, and 2,882 cases and 3,279 controls for -429T/C specifically. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95 % confidence interval (CI) was calculated to evaluate the associations with risk of cancer. Overall, we observed significantly increased risk of cancer in relation to 82G/S (A vs. G: OR 1.321, 95 % CI 1.164-1.499, P het 0.028; AA vs. GG: OR 1.823, 95 % CI 1.541-2.157, P het < 0.001; AG vs. GG: OR 1.399, 95 % CI 1.120-1.746, P het 0.002; GA+AA vs. GG: OR 1.470, 95 % CI 1.187-1.821, P het 0.002; AA vs. GG+AG: OR 1.416, 95 % CI 1.158-1.732, P het 0.107) and reduced risk of cancer in relation to -374T/A (AA vs. TT: OR 0.818, 95 % CI 0.686-0.976, P het 0.025; A vs. T: OR 0.908, 95 % CI 0.840-0.981, P het 0.014). In subgroup analysis for 82G/S, a significantly elevated cancer risk was indicated in the population of Asian and patients with lung cancer, and for -374T/A, reduced risk was indicated in population of Caucasian and patients with lung cancer and breast cancer. But no significant association was observed between -429T/C and risk of cancer. Thus, this meta-analysis revealed that 82G/S polymorphism is associated with a significantly increased risk of cancer, while -374T/A polymorphism is associated with a reduced risk of cancers.

Circulating soluble advanced glycation end product is inversely associated with the significant risk of developing cancer: evidence from a meta-analysis

Currently, advanced glycation end product (RAGE) is receiving much attention in carcinogenesis research due to its involvement in cancer progression and metastasis. We therefore sought to examine the association of circulating soluble RAGE (sRAGE) with all types of cancer by a meta-analysis. The PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched before March 1, 2014. Data and study quality were assessed in duplicate. Effect estimates were expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD) and its 95 % confidence interval (CI). Altogether, nine eligible articles including 1,337 cancer patients and 1,839 controls were analyzed. The overall analysis indicated that circulating sRAGE was remarkably reduced by 222.07 pg/ml in cancer patients compared with controls (95 % CI: -373.77 to -70.37; P = 0.004), with heterogeneity and without publication bias. In subgroup analyses, this reduction was weakened yet still significant in prospective studies (WMD = -87.62; 95 % CI: -138.60 to -36.63; P = 0.001) with improved heterogeneity (I (2) = 56.5 %; P = 0.056). Restricting analyses to the large studies (total number of subjects ≥200) identified significant reduction of circulating sRAGE in cancer patients relative to controls (WMD = -231.34; 95 % CI: -450.10 to -12.58; P = 0.038). Further meta-regression analysis showed that smoking status explained some part of heterogeneity for the association of circulating sRAGE with cancer risk (regression coefficient: -67.02; P = 0.046). Our findings demonstrate a protective role of circulating sRAGE in the development of cancer, especially in patients without diabetes mellitus or with normal renal function.

Association between APE1 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (rs1760944) and Cancer Risk: a Meta-Analysis Based on 6,419 Cancer Cases and 6,781 Case-free Controls

Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) is an essential enzyme in the base excision repair pathway. Epidemiological studies have suggested associations between APE1 rs1760944 polymorphism and cancer risk. This study was aimed to evaluate the relationship between APE1 rs1760944 polymorphism and cancer risk. We searched Pubmed, ISI Web of Knowledge, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases until September 2013 to identify eligible studies. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the strength of the associations. 12 studies from 11 articles on APE1 rs1760944 genotypes and cancer risk were identified, including a total of 6,419 cancer cases and 6,781 case-free controls. Overall, APE1 rs1760944 polymorphism was significantly associated with the decreased risk of cancer in any genetic models (G vs. T: OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.82-0.90; homozygote comparison: OR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.67-0.82; heterozygote comparison: OR =0.88, 95%CI = 0.81-0.95; dominant model TG+GG vs. TT: OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.76-0.89; recessive model GG vs. TT+TG: OR = 0.81, 95%CI = 0.75-0.88). In the stratified analysis by populations, the effect was remain in studies of Asian population (homozygote comparison: OR = 0.71, 95%CI = 0.63-0.79; heterozygote comparison: OR = 0.86, 95 %CI = 0.79- 0.94; dominant model: OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.74 -0.87 and recessive model: OR = 0.78, 95%CI = 0.71-0.86). Moreover, a significantly decreased risk was found in lung cancer studies (homozygote comparison: OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.59-0.79; heterozygote comparison: OR = 0.86, 95%CI = 0.77- 0.98; dominant model: OR = 0.80, 95%CI = 0.72-0.90 and recessive model: OR= 0.77, 95% CI= 0.68-0.87). These findings support that APE1 rs1760944 polymorphism has a possible protective effect on cancer susceptibility particularly among Asians. Further studies based on different ethnicity and various cancer types are warranted to verify our findings.

The relationship between RAGE gene four common polymorphisms and breast cancer risk in northeastern Han Chinese

We aimed to evaluate the association of four common polymorphisms (rs1800625, rs1800624, rs2070600, and rs184003) in receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) gene to evaluate their epistatic influence on breast cancer risk in northeastern Han Chinese. This is a hospital-based case-control study involving 509 histologically-proven breast cancer patients and 504 cancer-free controls. The genotype and allele distributions of rs184003 differed significantly between patients and controls, even after the Bonferroni correction. Individuals carrying the rs184003 T allele exhibited 1.62-fold increased risk of breast cancer (odds ratio (OR) = 1.62; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.26–2.08; P < 0.001) after adjusting for confounders. The frequency of haplotype T-T-G-T (alleles in order of rs1800625, rs1800624, rs2070600, and rs184003) was remarkably higher in patients than in controls (Simulated P = 0.001), and this haplotype was significantly associated with a 1.43-fold (95% CI: 1.01–2.01; P = 0.041) increase in adjusted risk of breast cancer. Further analysis indicated that there was synergistic interaction between rs184003 and rs2070600, whereas their joint information gain value was relatively small (0.27%). Taken together, although there was no suggestive evidence for the presence of epistasis in RAGE gene, our findings clearly demonstrate that rs184003 might play a predominant role in the development of breast cancer.

Polymorphisms in the vitamin D receptor gene and the lung cancer risk

The relationship between the vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphisms and the susceptibility to lung cancer remains unclear. The present meta-analysis was performed to estimate the polymorphisms of VDR and lung cancer risk. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Subgroup analysis by smoking status was carried out for further elucidation. The VDR BsmI polymorphism seemed to be negatively associated with the lung cancer risk (A vs. G, OR = 0.71, 95 % CI, 0.52-0.96; GA vs. GG, OR = 0.54, 95 % CI, 0.35-0.83; AA + GA vs. GG, OR = 0.55, 95 % CI, 0.36-0.84), particularly among the smokers (AA + GA vs. GG, OR = 0.39, 95 % CI, 0.21-0.72). The VDR ApaI variant genotypes did not alter the risk of lung cancer under all gene models in overall analysis. However, smokers carrying the variant G allele were more susceptible to lung cancer (G vs. T, OR = 1.60, 95 % CI, 1.14-2.25). The polymorphism of VDR TaqI was related to a decreased risk of lung cancer (C vs. T, OR = 0.62, 95 % CI, 0.26-1.46; CC vs. TT, OR = 0.44, 95 % CI, 0.21-0.91; TC vs. TT, OR = 0.58, 95 % CI, 0.38-0.90; CC + TC vs. TT, OR = 0.55, 95 % CI, 0.36-0.84). Besides, the CC + TC carriers in the smokers were at a significantly reduced risk of lung cancer (CC + TC vs. TT, OR = 0.48, 95 % CI, 0.16-1.44). The study supports that the polymorphisms of VDR BsmI and TaqI play protective roles in the lung carcinogenesis, particularly among the smokers. The association of VDR ApaI polymorphism with the lung cancer risk needs to be further elucidated.