MTRR rs1801394 and its interaction with MTHFR rs1801133 in colorectal cancer: a case-control study and meta-analysis

Association of Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Gene rs1801133 Polymorphism and Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score with Colorectal Cancer Susceptibility

Background

Susceptibility to some cancers is linked to methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms and the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score in some populations. However, their relationship with susceptibility to colorectal cancer (CRC) susceptibility in the Hakka Chinese population remains unclear.

Methods

In total, 620 CRC patients and 734 controls were enrolled. MTHFR rs1801133 was genotyped, medical records (age, sex, smoking history, alcohol consumption, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and family history of cancer, and blood cell parameters) were collected, and the relationship between this information and CRC susceptibility was analyzed.

Results

There were significant differences in the distribution of CONUT classification (p=0.002), and proportions of history of smoking (p<0.001), hypertension (p<0.001), diabetes mellitus (p<0.001), and family history of cancer (p=0.002) between patients and controls. There were statistically significant differences in MTHFR rs1801133 genotypes distribution (58.7% C/C, 35.5% C/T, and 5.8% T/T in patients vs 65.5%, 31.2%, and 3.3% in controls, p=0.010) and allele distribution (76.5% C, and 23.5% T allele in patients vs 81.1%, and 18.9% in controls, p=0.003) between patients and controls. Logistic regression analysis indicated that non-normal CONUT range (non-normal vs normal, odds ratio (OR): 1.451, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.119-1.882, p=0.005), and MTHFR rs1801133 variant (C/T + T/T vs C/C, OR: 1.373, 95% CI: 1.091-1.728, p=0.007), older age (≥65 vs <65 years, OR: 1.298, 95% CI: 1.023-1.646, p=0.032), male sex (OR: 1.354, 95% CI: 1.067-1.718, p=0.013), and history of alcohol drinking (OR: 2.232, 95% CI: 1.164-4.282, p=0.016) were independently associated with CRC risk.

Conclusion

Individuals carried MTHFR rs1801133 variant and with non-normal CONUT range, advanced age, history of alcohol consumption may be at increased CRC risk in the Hakka population.

The Roles of MTRR and MTHFR Gene Polymorphisms in Colorectal Cancer Survival

BACKGROUND

Paradoxically epidemiological data illustrate a negative relationship between dietary folate intake and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. The occurrence and progression of CRC may be influenced by variants in some key enzyme coding genes in the folate metabolic pathway. We investigated the correlation between genetic variants in methionine synthase reductase (MTRR) and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and CRC survival.

METHODS

This study used data collected from the Newfoundland Familial Colorectal Cancer Study. A total of 532 patients diagnosed with CRC for the first time from 1999 to 2003 were enrolled, and their mortality were tracked until April 2010. DNA samples were genotyped by Illumina's integrated quantum 1 million chip. Cox models were established to assess 33 tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms in MTRR and MTHFR in relation to overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and CRC-specific survival.

RESULTS

The MTRR and MTHFR genes were associated with DFS and CRC-specific survival in CRC patients at the gene level. After multiple comparison adjustment, MTRR rs1801394 A (vs. G) allele was associated with increased DFS (p = 0.024), while MTHRT rs3737966 (G vs. A), rs4846049 (T vs. G), rs1476413 (A vs. G), rs1801131 (C vs. A), rs12121543 (A vs. C), rs1801133 (C vs. T), rs4846052 (T vs. C), rs2066471 (A vs. G) and rs7533315 (T vs. C) were related to worse CRC-specific survival. Additionally, significant interactions were seen among pre-diagnostic alcohol consumption with MTRR rs1801394, rs3776467, rs326124, rs162040, and rs3776455, with superior OS associated with those protective variant alleles limited to patients with alcohol consumption under the median. The MTHFR rs3737966 (G vs. A) allele seemed to be detrimental to CRC survival only among subjects with fruit intake below the median.

CONCLUSIONS

Polymorphic variants in MTRR and MTHFR genes that code for key enzymes for folate metabolism may be associated with survival in patients with CRC. The gene-CRC outcome association seems modulated by alcohol drinking and fruit intake.

Reduced serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and aberrantly expressed cholesterol metabolism genes in colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignant tumor of the gastrointestinal tract. Lipid metabolism, as an important part of material and energy circulation, is well known to play a crucial role in CRC.

AIM

To explore the relationship between serum lipids and CRC development and identify aberrantly expressed cholesterol metabolism genes in CRC.

METHODS

We retrospectively collected 843 patients who had confirmed CRC and received surgical resection from 2013 to 2015 at the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences as our research subjects. The levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL-C/HDL-C and clinical features were collected and statistically analyzed by SPSS. Then, we used the data from Oncomine to screen the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of the cholesterol metabolism pathway in CRC and used Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis to confirm the candidate DEGs. PrognoScan was used to analyze the prognostic value of the DEGs, and Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes was used to construct the protein–protein interaction network of DEGs.

RESULTS

The serum HDL-C level in CRC patients was significantly correlated with tumor size, and patients whose tumor size was more than 5 cm had a lower serum HDL-C level (1.18 ± 0.41 mmol/L vs 1.25 ± 0.35 mmol/L, P < 0.01) than their counterparts. In addition, TC/HDL (4.19 ± 1.33 vs 3.93 ± 1.26, P < 0.01) and LDL-C/HDL-C (2.83 ± 1.10 vs 2.61 ± 0.96, P < 0.01) were higher in patients with larger tumors. The levels of HDL-C (P < 0.05), TC/HDL-C (P < 0.01) and LDL-C/HDL-C (P < 0.05) varied in different stages of CRC patients, and the differences were significant. We screened 14 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of the cholesterol metabolism pathway in CRC and confirmed that lipoprotein receptor-related protein 8 (LRP8), PCSK9, low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), MBTPS2 and FDXR are upregulated, while ABCA1 and OSBPL1A are downregulated in cancer tissue. Higher expression of LDLR (HR = 3.12, 95%CI: 1.77-5.49, P < 0.001), ABCA1 (HR = 1.66, 95%CI: 1.11-2.48, P = 0.012) and OSBPL1A (HR = 1.38, 95%CI: 1.01-1.89, P = 0.041) all yielded significantly poorer DFS outcomes. Higher expression of FDXR (HR = 0.7, 95%CI: 0.47-1.05, P = 0.002) was correlated with longer DFS. LDLR, ABCA1, OSBPL1A and FDXR were involved in many important cellular function pathways.

CONCLUSION

Serum HDL-C levels are associated with tumor size and stage in CRC patients. LRP8, PCSK9, LDLR, MBTPS2 and FDXR are upregulated, while ABCA1 and OSBPL1A are downregulated in CRC. Among them, LDLR, ABCA1, OSBPL1A and FDXR were valuable prognostic factors of DFS and were involved in important cellular function pathways.