Interactive effect of smoking and NQO1 haplotypes on lung cancer risk

Genetic Polymorphism of NQO1 Gene is Associated with Susceptibility of Ischemic Stroke in Chinese Han Nationality

PURPOSE

NAD(P)H: Quinone Oxidoreductase 1 gene (NQO1) polymorphism is associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between NQO1 gene polymorphism and ischemic stroke susceptibility in Chinese Han nationality.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

One hundred and forty-one patients diagnosed with ischemic stroke and 139 matched control groups were recruited in this study. The polymorphism distribution of rsl800566 locus and rs10517 locus of NQO1 gene was genotyped via TaqMan assay, and the concentration of Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) in the blood of the subjects was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The relationship between the polymorphism distribution and the susceptibility to ischemic stroke was evaluated.

RESULTS

The frequency distribution of the three genotypes of NQO1 rs1800566 between the case group and the control group was statistically significant, and cases carrying CT and TT genotype were less likely to suffer from ischemic stroke. Compared with individuals carrying T allele, C allele carriers have higher risk of ischemic stroke. However, there was no significant difference in frequency distribution among the three genotypes of NQO1 rs10517 between controls and patients.

CONCLUSION

The NQO1 rs1800566 C allele may be a novel marker associated with ischemic stroke susceptibility in Chinese Han population. Polymorphism of rsl800566 locus in NQO1 gene may be protective against ischemic stroke risk.

Polymorphisms in NQO1 and MPO genes and risk for bladder cancer in Tunisian population

BACKGROUND

NAD (P) H: quinone oxidoreductase (1) (NQO1-HGNC: 2874) and myeloperoxidase (MPO-HGNC: 7218) are two enzymes involved in phase II of the xenobiotic metabolism pathway.

METHODS

In this study, a case-control analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between genetic variations in the NQO1 (C609T, rs1800566; IVS1-27 C >G, rs689452) and MPO (G463A, rs2333227) genes and the risk for bladder cancer among Tunisian population.

RESULTS

We have found that the MPO 463GA genotype was associated with a decreased risk of developing bladder cancer (p = 0.049; OR = 0.696; 95% CI 0.484-0.999). In contrast, we have found that the NQO1 609CT genotype could increase the risk of bladder cancer patients (p = 0.0039; OR = 1.454; 95% CI = 1.017-2.078). Moreover, patients with "NQO1 609 CT/IVS1-27 CG" genotype show a 2.180-fold increasing risk for developing bladder cancer in comparison to the control group with wild genotype. This OR is estimated at 5.6-fold in smokers patients with "NQO1 609 CT/IVS1-27 CG" genotype. Lastly, study findings suggest that the NQO1 IVS-27 *CG genotype (rs689452) is associated with a risk of progression to muscle invasive bladder cancer.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that environmental risk factors in association to NQO1 genotypes (NQO1 609 CT/IVS1-27 CG) play an important role in the development of bladder cancer in Tunisian population.

Changes in salivary proteome before and after cigarette smoking in smokers compared to sham smoking in nonsmokers: A pilot study

INTRODUCTION

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease. Although smoking results in an acute effect of relaxation and positive mood through dopamine release, smoking is thought to increase stress symptoms such as heart rate and blood pressure from nicotine-induced effects on the HPA axis and increased cortisol. Despite the importance in understanding the mechanisms in smoking maintenance, little is known about the overall protein and physiological response to smoking. There may be multiple functions involved that if identified might help in improving methods for behavioral and pharmacological interventions. Therefore, our goal for this pilot study was to identify proteins in the saliva that change in response to an acute smoking event versus acute sham smoking event in smokers and non-smokers, respectively.

METHODS

We employed the iTRAQ technique followed by Mass Spectrometry to identify differentially expressed proteins in saliva of smokers and non-smokers after smoking cigarettes and sham smoking, respectively. We also validated some of the salivary proteins by ELISA or western blotting. In addition, salivary cortisol and salivary amylase (sAA) activity were measured.

RESULTS

In all, 484 salivary proteins were identified. Several proteins were elevated as well as decreased in smokers compared to non-smokers. Among these were proteins associated with stress response including fibrinogen alpha, cystatin A and sAA. Our investigation also highlights methodological considerations in study design, sampling and iTRAQ analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

We suggest further investigation of other differentially expressed proteins in this study including ACBP, A2ML1, APOA4, BPIB1, BPIA2, CAH1, CAH6, CYTA, DSG1, EST1, GRP78, GSTO1, sAA, SAP, STAT, TCO1, and TGM3 that might assist in improving methods for behavioral and pharmacological interventions for smokers.

Association of NQO1Pro187Ser polymorphism with clinical outcomes and survival of lung cancer patients treated with platinum chemotherapy

Background: The study was carried out to evaluate the association of NQO1 P187S polymorphism in North Indian lung cancer (LC) patients. We determined the effect of this polymorphic variant on the survival of LC patients. Patients & methods/results: This case-control study comprised a total of 1100 subjects. The genotyping was carried out using PCR-RFLP and statistical analysis was carried out. The variant TT genotype exhibited 3.5-fold higher odds in subjects with stage III (p = 0.0006), fivefold higher odds of lymph-node invasion (p = 0.007) and an odd of <1 in case of metastasis (p = 0.0028). Patients possessing TT genotype and administered with paclitaxel, exhibited a poor survival (3.57 vs 12.20 months; hazard ratio = 7.95; p = 0.0098). Conclusion: These results suggest that NQO1 variant genotype was not found to modulate risk toward LC. However, the variant genotype was found to be strongly correlated with stage III LC, lymph node invasion and was found to be positively correlating with metastasis.

Natural (and Unnatural) Small Molecules as Pharmacological Chaperones and Inhibitors in Cancer

Mutations causing single amino acid exchanges can dramatically affect protein stability and function, leading to disease. In this chapter, we will focus on several representative cases in which such mutations affect protein stability and function leading to cancer. Mutations in BRAF and p53 have been extensively characterized as paradigms of loss-of-function/gain-of-function mechanisms found in a remarkably large fraction of tumours. Loss of RB1 is strongly associated with cancer progression, although the molecular mechanisms by which missense mutations affect protein function and stability are not well known. Polymorphisms in NQO1 represent a remarkable example of the relationships between intracellular destabilization and inactivation due to dynamic alterations in protein ensembles leading to loss of function. We will review the function of these proteins and their dysfunction in cancer and then describe in some detail the effects of the most relevant cancer-associated single amino exchanges using a translational perspective, from the viewpoints of molecular genetics and pathology, protein biochemistry and biophysics, structural, and cell biology. This will allow us to introduce several representative examples of natural and synthetic small molecules applied and developed to overcome functional, stability, and regulatory alterations due to cancer-associated amino acid exchanges, which hold the promise for using them as potential pharmacological cancer therapies.

Age plays an important role in the relationship between smoking status and obesity risk: a large scale cross-sectional study of Chinese adults

OBJECTIVE

To study the role of age plays in the relationship between smoking status and obesity in both Chinese men and women.

METHODS

From Chinese Physical and Psychological Database, participants were divided into non-smokers, current smokers, and former smokers. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), fat percentage, fat mass, and fat free mass were measured. The mean, standard deviation and frequency of these indicators were calculated for each age bracket. One-way ANOVA and post-hoc test analyses were used to detect the difference among these three groups.

RESULTS

In men, from 19 to 24 years old, BMI, WC and fat free mass of current smokers were higher than that of non-smokers (P<0.01). However, fat mass and fat percentage of current smokers were lower than that of non-smokers but higher than that of former smokers (P<0.01). From 25 to 34 years old, BMI and fat mass of former smokers were higher than non-smokers and current smokers (P<0.01). In addition, WC and fat free mass of non-smokers were lower than that of current smokers and former smokers (P<0.01). From 45 to older, BMI, WC, fat mass, fat free mass and fat percentage of former smokers were higher than that of current smokers (P<0.01). From 55 to older, BMI, WC, fat mass, fat free mass and fat percentage of current smokers were lower than that of non-smokers (P<0.01). In women, smoking status might not be significantly related to obesity (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

For young men, smoking might have an effect on increasing fat free mass, BMI and WC, and decreasing fat mass and fat percentage. For middle and older men, smoking might have an effect on decreasing fat free mass, fat mass, BMI, WC, and fat percentage. Obesity risk should be paid more attention in smoking cessation programs for those former smokers.