Association of a single nucleotide polymorphism at 6q25.1,rs2046210, with endometrial cancer risk among Chinese women

The rs2046210 Polymorphism Is Associated with Endometriosis Risk and Elevated Estrogen Receptor 1 Expression in the Eutopic Endometrium of Women with the Disease

In this focused genetic case-control study, we analyzed two functional single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) associated with breast cancer risk (rs2046210, rs9383590) and one risk SNV for an implantation defect and infertility (rs9340799) for their association with endometriosis susceptibility, progression and ESR1 gene regulation in endometriosis patients. The rs2046210, rs9383590 and rs9340799 SNVs were genotyped in 153 endometriosis patients and 87 control subjects with Caucasian ancestry. We analyzed the association of all SNVs with endometriosis susceptibility in all patients and in subgroups and assessed the concordance between the SNVs. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR was used to determine ESR1 gene expression in the eutopic endometrial tissue of the controls and endometriosis patients. The heterozygous rs2046210 GA genotype was associated with significantly increased endometriosis risk, particularly in younger, leaner and infertile women and with an increased ESR1 gene expression in the eutopic endometrium of these patients, compared to controls. The minor AA genotype of rs2046210 was identified as a potential risk factor for endometriosis progression in women with mild endometriosis. The results from this analysis indicate that rs2046210 may be a functional genetic variant associated with endometriosis development and progression.

Association of the Estrogen Receptor 1 Polymorphisms rs2046210 and rs9383590 with the Risk, Age at Onset and Prognosis of Breast Cancer

Estrogen receptor α (ERα), encoded by the ESR1 gene, is a key prognostic and predictive biomarker firmly established in routine diagnostics and as a therapeutic target of breast cancer, and it has a central function in breast cancer biology. Genetic variants at 6q25.1, containing the ESR1 gene, were found to be associated with breast cancer susceptibility. The rs2046210 and rs9383590 single nucleotide variants (SNVs) are located in the same putative enhancer region upstream of ESR1 and were separately identified as candidate causal variants responsible for these associations. Here, both SNVs were genotyped in a hospital-based case-control study of 409 female breast cancer patients and 422 female controls of a Central European (Austrian) study population. We analyzed the association of both SNVs with the risk, age at onset, clinically and molecularly relevant characteristics and prognosis of breast cancer. We also assessed the concordances between both SNVs and the associations of each SNV conditional on the other SNV. The minor alleles of both SNVs were found to be non-significantly associated with an increased breast cancer risk. Significant associations were found in specific subpopulations, particularly in patients with an age younger than 55 years. The minor homozygotes of rs2046210 and the minor homozygotes plus heterozygotes of rs9383590 exhibited a several-years-younger age at onset than the common homozygotes, which was more pronounced in ER-positive and luminal patients. Importantly, the observed associations of each SNV were not consistently nullified upon correction for the other SNV nor upon analyses in common homozygotes for the other SNV. We conclude that both SNVs remain independent candidate causal variants.

Long Noncoding RNA LINC00899/miR-944/ESR1 Axis Regulates Cervical Cancer Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion

Cervical cancer (CC) is a common malignancy in women. Long noncoding RNA LINC00899 plays a role in cancer, but its effects in CC are unknown. Our experiment aims to investigate the specific effects of LINC00899 in CC. LINC00899 was lowly expressed in CC tissues and cells, and overexpressed LINC0089 inhibited the viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion of CC cells, whereas silencing of LINC00899 had the opposite effect. There is a targeting relationship between LINC0089 and miR-944. It was found that miR-944 could competitively bind with LINC00899, and LINC00899 in turn, could downregulate expression of miR-944. Moreover, estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) was the target gene of miR-944. Overexpressed miR-944 inhibited ESR1 expression, yet enhanced the migration and invasion of CC cells and promoted the expression levels of N-cadherin and Vimentin while inhibiting the expression of E-cadherin. However, overexpressed ESR1 reversed the effect of miR-944 overexpression on CC cells. LINC00899/miR-944/ESR1 axis regulates the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CC cells by regulating the expression levels of related proteins.

Endometrial cancer: a genetic point of view

BACKGROUND

Endometrial cancer is the fourth most frequent gynecological cancer and the most frequent type of uterine cancer. There is an increase in the incidence and mortality of uterine cancers in the past few decades, and there are no well-established screening programs for endometrial cancer currently. Most endometrial cancers arise through the interplay of familial, genetic, and lifestyle factors. Although a number of genetic factors modify endometrial cancer susceptibility, they are not of standard use in the clinical assessment of prognosis. We conducted a comprehensive systematic literature review to provide an overview of the relationship between genetic factors and risk for endometrial cancer.

METHODS

MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched for studies between January 2010 to March 2020 reporting the genes associated with endometrial cancer.

RESULTS

Through the selection process, we retrieved 186 studies comprising 329 genes identified using several molecular methodologies in all human chromosomes and in mitochondrial DNA. Endometrial cancer exhibits a molecular complexity and heterogeneity coherent with its clinical and histologic variability. Improved characterization of molecular alterations of each histological type provides relevant information about the prognosis and potential response to new therapies.

CONCLUSIONS

The current challenge is the integration of clinicopathologic and molecular factors to improve the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of endometrial cancer.

Genetic Variation and Hot Flashes: A Systematic Review

CONTEXT

Approximately 70% of women report experiencing vasomotor symptoms (VMS, hot flashes and/or night sweats). The etiology of VMS is not clearly understood but may include genetic factors.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

We searched PubMed and Embase in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidance. We included studies on associations between genetic variation and VMS. We excluded studies focused on medication interventions or prevention or treatment of breast cancer.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

Of 202 unique citations, 18 citations met the inclusion criteria. Study sample sizes ranged from 51 to 17 695. Eleven of the 18 studies had fewer than 500 participants; 2 studies had 1000 or more. Overall, statistically significant associations with VMS were found for variants in 14 of the 26 genes assessed in candidate gene studies. The cytochrome P450 family 1 subfamily A member 1 (CYP1B1) gene was the focus of the largest number (n = 7) of studies, but strength and statistical significance of associations of CYP1B1 variants with VMS were inconsistent. A genome-wide association study reported statistically significant associations between 14 single-nucleotide variants in the tachykinin receptor 3 gene and VMS. Heterogeneity across trials regarding VMS measurement methods and effect measures precluded quantitative meta-analysis; there were few studies of each specific genetic variant.

CONCLUSIONS

Genetic variants are associated with VMS. The associations are not limited to variations in sex-steroid metabolism genes. However, studies were few and future studies are needed to confirm and extend these findings.

Endometrial carcinoma-related genetic factors: application to research and clinical practice in China

Genetic factors affect the initiation and progression of endometrial carcinoma (EC). The routine detection of genetic factors involved in EC has not been extensively performed in Chinese clinical practice, however. In this review we summarise EC-related genetic factors, including Lynch syndrome-associated mutations and non-Lynch syndrome-associated genetic predispositions found in Chinese women, and their potential clinical applications. In addition, we propose a clinical testing strategy for patients with EC and their family members. The objective of this review is to advance basic research regarding the genetic factors involved in EC and to improve its clinical implementation in China.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Review summarises Chinese research progression of EC-related genetic factors and proposes innovative screening strategy.

Comprehensive genetic assessment of the ESR1 locus identifies a risk region for endometrial cancer

Excessive exposure to estrogen is a well-established risk factor for endometrial cancer (EC), particularly for cancers of endometrioid histology. The physiological function of estrogen is primarily mediated by estrogen receptor alpha, encoded by ESR1. Consequently, several studies have investigated whether variation at the ESR1 locus is associated with risk of EC, with conflicting results. We performed comprehensive fine-mapping analyses of 3633 genotyped and imputed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 6607 EC cases and 37 925 controls. There was evidence of an EC risk signal located at a potential alternative promoter of the ESR1 gene (lead SNP rs79575945, P=1.86×10(-5)), which was stronger for cancers of endometrioid subtype (P=3.76×10(-6)). Bioinformatic analysis suggests that this risk signal is in a functionally important region targeting ESR1, and eQTL analysis found that rs79575945 was associated with expression of SYNE1, a neighbouring gene. In summary, we have identified a single EC risk signal located at ESR1, at study-wide significance. Given SNPs located at this locus have been associated with risk for breast cancer, also a hormonally driven cancer, this study adds weight to the rationale for performing informed candidate fine-scale genetic studies across cancer types.

Eight functional polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor 1 gene and endometrial cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Background and Objective

Emerging evidence indicates that common functional polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) gene may have an impact on an individual’s susceptibility to endometrial cancer, but individually published results are inconclusive. The aim of this meta-analysis is to derive a more precise estimation of the associations between eight polymorphisms in the ESR1 gene and endometrial cancer risk.

Methods

A literature search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and China Biology Medicine (CBM) databases was conducted on publications published before November 1^st, 2012. Crude odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Statistical analyses were performed using the STATA 12.0 software.

Results

Thirteen case-control studies were included with a total of 7,649 endometrial cancer cases and 16,855 healthy controls. When all the eligible studies were pooled into the meta-analysis, the results indicated that PvuII (C>T) polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of endometrial cancer, especially among Caucasian populations. There were also significant associations between rs3020314 (C>T) polymorphism and an increased risk of endometrial cancer. Furthermore, rs2234670 (S/L) polymorphism may decrease the risk of endometrial cancer. However, no statistically significant associations were found in XbaI (A>G), Codon 325 (C>G), Codon 243 (C>T), VNTR (S/L) and rs2046210 (G>A) polymorphisms.

Conclusion

The current meta-analysis suggests that PvuII (C>T) and rs3020314 (C>T) polymorphisms may be risk factors for endometrial cancer, especially among Caucasian populations.

A common polymorphism near the ESR1 gene is associated with risk of breast cancer: evidence from a case-control study and a meta-analysis

Background

Genome-wide association studies have reported that a polymorphism near the estrogen receptor gene (ESR1) (rs2046210) is associated with a risk of breast cancer, with the A allele conferring an increased risk. However, considering the controversial results from more recent replicated studies, we conducted a case-control study in an independent Chinese Han population and a meta-analysis to clarify the association of this polymorphism with breast cancer risk.

Method and Findings

A hospital-based case-control study including 461 cases and 537 controls from a Chinese Han population was conducted initially, and this study showed that the rs2046210 A allele was significantly associated with breast cancer risk, with an OR of 1.32 (95% CI  = 1.10–1.59). Subsequently, a meta-analysis integrating the current study and previous publications with a total of 53,379 cases and 55,493 controls was performed to further confirm our findings. Similarly, a significant association between this polymorphism and breast cancer risk was also observed in the overall population especially among Asians, with ORs for per A allele of 1.14 (95% CI  = 1.10–1.18) in the overall population and 1.27 (95% CI  = 1.23–1.31) in the Asian population.

Conclusion

Our results provide strong evidence to support that the common polymorphism near the ESR1 gene, rs2046210, is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in Asian and European populations but not in Africans, although the biological mechanisms need to be further investigated.