Association Study of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in XRCC1 Gene with the Risk of Gastric Cancer in Chinese Population

Gastric cancer is one of highly cancer-related deaths in the world. Previous evidence suggests that the X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 gene (XRCC1) is one of the most important candidate genes for influencing gastric cancer risk. The objective of this study was to detect the potential association of genetic variants in XRCC1 gene with gastric cancer risk in Chinese Han population. In total, we enrolled 395 gastric cancer patients and 398 cancer-free controls in this study. The genotyping of c.910A>G and c.1804C>A genetic variants in XRCC1 gene were investigate by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and created restriction site-PCR (CRS-PCR) methods, respectively. We found the genotypes/alleles from these two genetic variants were statistically associated with the increased risk of gastric cancer (for c.910A>G, GG versus (vs.) AA: OR = 2.00, 95% CI 1.21-3.31; AG vs. AA: OR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.12-2.02; GG/AG vs. AA: OR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.20-2.10; GG vs. AG/AA: OR = 1.68, 95% CI 1.03-2.73; G vs. A: OR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.18-1.83; for c.1804C>A, AA vs. CC: OR = 2.68, 95% CI 1.46-4.94; AA vs. CA/CC: OR = 2.62, 95% CI 1.44-4.76; A vs. C: OR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.06-1.66). The allele-G of c.910A>G and allele-A of c.1804C>A genetic variants may contribute to gastric cancer susceptibility. These preliminary results indicate that these XRCC1 genetic variants are potentially related to gastric cancer susceptibility in Chinese Han population, and might be used as molecular markers.     

CYP2D6*4 Allele Polymorphism Increases the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease: Evidence from Meta-Analysis

Background

Many epidemiological studies have been conducted to explore the association between a single CYP2D6 gene polymorphism and Parkinson’s disease (PD) susceptibility. However, the results remain controversial.

Objectives

To clarify the effects of a single CYP2D6 gene polymorphism on the risk of PD, a meta-analysis of all available studies relating to CYP2D6*4 polymorphism and the risk of PD was conducted.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) up to September 1, 2013 was conducted. Data were extracted by two independent authors and pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Meta-regression, Galbraith plots, subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias analysis were also performed.

Results

Twenty-two separate comparisons consisting of 2,629 patients and 3,601 controls were included in our meta-analysis. The pooled analyses showed a significant association between CYP2D6*4G/A polymorphism and PD risk in all of the comparisons (A vs. G allele: OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.14–1.43, P = 0.001; AA vs. GG: OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.06–1.93, P = 0.018; AG vs. GG: OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.06–1.40, P = 0.006; AG+AA vs. GG: OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.10–1.44, P = 0.001; AA vs. AG+GG: OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.02–1.83, P = 0.036). In subgroup analysis stratified by ethnicity, significant associations were also demonstrated in Caucasians but not in Asians. No significant association was found in subgroup analysis stratified by age of onset or disease form.

Conclusions

We concluded that the CYP2D6*4G/A polymorphism denotes an increased genetic susceptibility to PD in the overall population, especially in Caucasians. Further large and well-designed studies are needed to confirm this association.     

The −1082A/G polymorphism in the Interleukin-10 gene and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis: A meta-analysis

A large number of studies have shown that the −1082A/G polymorphism (rs1800896) in the Interleukin-10 gene (IL-10) is implicated in the susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the results are inconsistent and inconclusive. The aim of this study is to analyze the association between the −1082A/G polymorphism in the IL-10 gene and the RA risk by meta-analysis. A total of 1480 cases and 1413 controls in 10 case–control studies were included in this meta-analysis. The results indicated that the G allele carriers (GG + GA) had a 25% decreased risk of RA, when compared with the homozygote AA (odds ratio (OR) = 0.75, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.59–0.93). In the analysis in Europeans, significant decreased risks were associated with the G allele carriers (OR = 0.73 and 95% CI: 0.57–0.93 for GG + GA vs. AA). The results from this meta-analysis provide evidence for the association between the IL-10 −1082A/G polymorphism and the risk of RA. To further evaluate gene × gene and gene × environment interactions between the polymorphisms in the IL-10 gene and RA risk, more studies with large groups of patients are required.     

Role of an intronic polymorphism in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">PDCD1</Emphasis> gene with the risk of sporadic systemic lupus erythematosus and the occurrence of antiphospholipid antibodies

Recently, a polymorphism in intron 4 (G/A) of the programmed cell death 1 (PDCD1) gene was shown to be associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) risk in familial and sporadic patients of European, European American, and Mexican origin. In this investigation, we examined the role of this polymorphism in 311 SLE patients (276 European Americans and 35 African Americans) and 390 age-matched healthy controls (359 European Americans and 31 African Americans). The frequency of the A allele was significantly higher in European American controls than in African American controls (0.107 vs. 0.048; P=0.046). There was no significant difference in the frequency of the A allele between SLE cases and controls in either the European American (0.107 vs. 0.129; P=0.84) or African American (0.048 vs. 0.100; P=0.25) cohort. However, after adjustment for the status of the antiphospholipid antibodies (APA) in the logistic regression analysis, the risk for SLE associated with the PDCD1 polymorphism was statistically significant. The APA-adjusted odds ratio (OR) between A allele carriers (AA + AG genotypes) versus the GG genotype showed a modest association with SLE risk in European Americans (OR=1.52, 95% CI: 1.02–2.27; P=0.039), African Americans (OR=2.89, 95% CI: 0.61–13.76; P=0.183), and the ethnicity-combined sample (OR=1.59, 95% CI: 1.08–2.34; P=0.019). Furthermore, we observed that the A allele carriers were protected against the occurrence of APA in both controls (OR=0.399, 95% CI: 0.19–0.82; P=0.0098) and SLE cases (OR=0.566, 95% CI: 0.32–1.01; P=0.054). Our data indicate polymorphism in intron 4 of the PDCD1 gene affects the occurrence of APA and may slightly modify the risk of sporadic SLE.     

Association of the genetic polymorphisms in immunoinflammatory microRNAs with risk of ischemic stroke and subtypes in an Iranian population

Stroke is one of the most common type of cerebrovascular disease threatening human health and life with high mortality, disability, and morbidity. Ischemic stroke (IS) is determined to be a complex disease containing a group of heterogeneous disorders with various environmental and genetic risk factors. This study evaluated the polymorphisms of microRNAs involved in inflammatory routes leading to stroke in an Iranian population. This study evaluated the associations of hsa-mir-608 C/G rs4919510, hsa-mir-499 A/G rs3746444, and hsa-mir-145 C/T rs190323149 polymorphisms in precursor miRNAs with the risk of IS. These microRNA polymorphisms were analyzed in 470 patients with IS and 489 control subjects. The TOAST criteria was applied for IS subtypes classification. The frequency of the allele G of hsa-mir-499/rs3746444 A/G revealed significant association with IS in comparison with controls ( p < 0.0001, OR = 1.838, 95% CI = 1.406–2.401). Increased IS risks were associated with hsa-mir-499/ rs3746444 A/G genotypes in diverse genetic model (homozygote comparison: p = 0.004, OR = 2.136, 95% CI = 1.269–3.597; heterozygote comparison: p = 0.029, OR = 1.373, 95% CI = 1.033–1.825). Statistical analysis in IS subtypes showed that cardio-embolic patients compared with other subtypes (large artery atherosclerosis and lacunar) had higher frequency of G allele (LAA vs. CEI, p = 0.017; LAC vs. CEI, p = 0.009), AG genotype (LAA vs. CEI, p = 0.016; LAC vs. CEI, p = 0.013). Nevertheless, this study did not find any association between the alleles and genotypes of mir-608 C/G rs4919510 SNP and IS, respectively ( p > 0.05). The current investigation provided verification that hsa-mir-499 rs3746444 A/G polymorphism may be associated with a significantly increased risk of IS in an Iranian population.     

Leptin rs2167270 G > A (G19A) polymorphism may decrease the risk of cancer: A case-control study and meta-analysis involving 19 989 subjects

Accumulating evidence has suggested that leptin (LEP) is very important for the development of cancer. Recently, a number of case-control studies about the relationship of the rs2167270 G > A (G19A) variants in the LEP gene with the risk of cancer have yielded inconsistent results. In this study, we have carried out a case-control study [1063 esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma (EGJA) cases and 1677 controls] in a Chinese population. Furthermore, we carried out a pooled-analysis of 13 studies involving 8059 cancer patients and 11 930 controls to assess whether the LEP G19A locus was associated with overall cancer susceptibility. Odds ratios (ORs) with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were harnessed to evaluate the potential association. In our case-control study, we found an association between the carriers of LEP 19A allele and EGJA risk. In addition, the results of meta-analysis also suggested significant associations with cancer risk (A vs G: OR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.88–0.97, P = 0.001; AA vs GG: OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.74–0.93, P = 0.001, GA/AA vs GG: OR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.88–0.99, P = 0.023 and AA vs GG/GA: OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.74–0.92, P < 0.001). Upon conducting a stratified analysis, we found that LEP 19A allele might decrease the susceptibility of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and colorectal cancer (CRC). In a stratified-by-ethnicity analysis, significant associations were also found in Asians, Caucasians, and mixed populations. We can conclude that the LEP G19A polymorphism constitutes a decreased risk of cancer.     

Meta-analysis of MCP-1 promoter ?2518 A/G polymorphism and SLE susceptibility

The aim of this meta-analysis was to summarize results on the association of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1) promoter -2518 A/G polymorphism with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) susceptibility. We searches all the publications about the association between MCP-1 promoter -2518 A/G polymorphism and SLE from Pubmed, Elsevier Science Direct, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure. The meta-analysis was performed for genotypes AA verse GG, AA+AG verse GG, AA verse AG+GG, and A allele verse G allele in a fixed/random effect model. A total of 14 studies (2,333 cases and 2,391 controls) were included in the meta-analysis. When all groups were pooled, we had not observed significant association between A allele and G allele (OR = 0.94, 95 %CI = 0.79-1.12, P = 0.50). When analysis were restricted to more ethnically homogeneous populations, the similar results were found in European population and Asian population (OR = 1.05, 95 %CI = 0.75-1.46, P = 0.80; OR = 1.00, 95 %CI = 0.86-1.17, P = 0.99). However, we had not detected a significant association between MCP-1 promoter -2518 A/G polymorphism and SLE when examining the genotypes AA verse GG, AA+AG verse GG, AA verse AG+GG. The meta-analysis did not demonstrate the association between MCP-1 promoter -2518 A/G polymorphism and SLE.     

Quantitative assessment of the association between TAP2 rs241447 polymorphism and cancer risk

The findings regarding the relation of transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) to cancer risk have been inconsistent. The aim of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the association between TAP2 rs241447 polymorphism and cancer susceptibility. A meta-analysis of nine investigations with 2800 cases and 1620 controls was conducted to gain a better understanding of the effect of TAP2 rs241447 polymorphism on cancer risk. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the strength of the correlation between TAP2 gene polymorphism and cancer susceptibility. The pooled results from TAP2 rs241447 polymorphism showed a decreased risk of cancer in two dominant genetic models (GG + AG vs AA: OR = 0.86, 95% CI, 0.75-0.99; AG vs AA: OR = 0.85, 95% CI, 0.73-0.99). From the subgroup analysis, decreased cancer susceptibility was found in Caucasians (GG + AG vs AA: OR = 0.82, 95% CI, 0.68-0.99), especially among the subgroup of cervical carcinoma (GG + AG vs AA: OR = 0.82, 95% CI, 0.69-0.96; AG vs AA: OR = 0.83, 95% CI, 0.70-0.99). Overall, the results suggest that TAP2 rs241447 polymorphism contributes to decreased cancer susceptibility.     

Association between the −1438G/A and T102C polymorphisms of 5-HT2A receptor gene and obstructive sleep apnea: a meta-analysis

The serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor has been implicated in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 5-HT2A gene have been found in OSA, the most common being ?1438G/A and T102C; however, studies of the association between 5-HT2A SNPs and OSA risk have reported inconsistent findings. A meta-analysis was performed to quantitatively review the association between ?1438G/A and T102C SNPs and OSA. Five studies, including 791 subjects for ?1438G/A genotype and 1,068 subjects for T102C genotype, were selected. Pooled data analysis of the ?1438G/A genotype indicated a significantly increased OSA risk was associated with two variant genotypes (AA vs. AG+GG: OR 3.023, 95 % CI 2.169–4.213, P = 0.506 for heterogeneity; A allele carriers vs. GG: OR 1.938, 95 % CI 0.879–4.274, P = 0.012 for heterogeneity). Stratification analysis by gender supported the association in males, but not females. For the T102C genotype, no significantly increased OSA risk was associated with the two variant genotypes (CC vs. CT+TT: OR 1.065, 95 % CI 0.787–1.442, P = 0.361 for heterogeneity; C allele carriers vs. TT: OR 0.979, 95 % CI 0.737–1.3, P = 0.9 for heterogeneity).In conclusions, meta-analysis indicated that the ?1438G/A, and not T102C, polymorphism of 5-HT2A is a positive risk factor of OSA, especially in males.     

CARD9 gene rs4077515 polymorphism is associated with the susceptibility of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and the development of thyroid cancer

AmisHashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is the most common type of autoimmune thyroiditis and is a risk factor for the occurrence of thyroid papillary carcinoma (PTC). The study aimed to explore the distribution of CARD9 rs4077515 polymorphism in HT and PTC patients, in order to evaluate its association with the occurrence and development of HT.Methods150 HT patients and 120 PTC cases were included. Genotypes of CARD9 rs40775155 polymorphism were sequenced and counted.ResultsA remarkable increase trend of rs4077515 AA genotype was found in HT cases in comparison with the control group, while GG genotype frequency exhibited a down trend. An excess of A allele was also detected in HT group. HT cases carrying AG and AA genotypes had high risk to receive hormonotherapy and needed a much larger dose. In comparison with HT cases, both AG and AA appeared more frequently in PTC patients, and are associated with the tumor size, LN metastasis and surgical margin. The AG (OR = 2.566, 95 % CI = 1.376–4.786) and AA (OR = 3.040, 95 % CI = 1.525–6.060) genotype carriers had a greater risk of developing PTC. The A allele of rs4077515 polymorphism was a risk allele for the onset of PTC among HT cases (OR = 1.775, 95 % CI = 1.260–2.502).ConclusionCARD9 rs4077515 polymorphism is likely to be a risk factor for HT in the Chinese Han population, it also contributes to the development of PTC for HT patients.     

Investigation of IGF1, IGF2BP2, and IGFBP3 variants with lymph node status and esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma risk

Esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma (EGJA) may be associated with obesity and overweight. Thus, any variant in energy metabolism–related gene may influence the development of EGJA. In this study, we recruited 720 EGJA cases and 1541 noncancer controls. We selected IGF2BP2 rs4402960 G > T, rs1470579 A > C, IGF1 rs5742612 A > G and IGFBP3 rs3110697 G > A, rs2270628 C > T and rs6953668 G > A loci and assessed the relationship of these polymorphisms with lymph node status and susceptibility of EGJA. We found that IGF2BP2 rs1470579 A > C and IGFBP3 rs6953668 G > A polymorphisms were associated with the decreased risk of EGJA ( IGF2BP2 rs1470579: CC vs AA: adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.43-0.98, P = 0.041 and CC vs AA/AC: adjusted OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.41-0.93, P = 0.021 and IGFBP3 rs6953668: GA vs GG: adjusted OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.47-0.93, P = 0.019 and GA/AA vs GG: adjusted OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.48-0.95, P = 0.026). However, we also found that IGF1 rs5742612 A > G polymorphism increased the risk of LNM among patients with EGJA (GG vs AA: adjusted OR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.02-3.46, P = 0.042 and GG vs AA/AG: adjusted OR = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.06-3.47, P = 0.032). This study suggests that IGF2BP2 rs1470579 A > C and IGFBP3 rs6953668 G > A polymorphisms may decrease genetic susceptibility to EGJA in eastern Chinese Han population. In addition, our findings also indicate that IGF1 rs5742612 A > G polymorphism may increase the susceptibility of LNM among patients with EGJA.     

Associations of Genetic Variants in the PSCA,MUC1 and PLCE1 Genes with Stomach Cancer Susceptibility in a Chinese Population

BackgroundSeveral genetic variants including PSCA rs2294008 C>T and rs2976392 G>A, MUC1 rs4072037 T>C, and PLCE1 rs2274223 A>G have shown significant association with stomach cancer risk in the previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs).MethodsTo evaluate associations of these SNPs in the Han Chinese, an independent hospital based case-control study was performed by genotyping these four polymorphisms in a total of 692 stomach cancer cases and 774 healthy controls acquired by using frequency matching for age and gender. False-positive report probability (FPRP) analysis was also performed to validate all statistically significant findings.ResultsIn the current study, significant association with stomach cancer susceptibility was observed for all the four polymorphisms of interest. Specifically, a significant increased stomach cancer risk was associated with PSCA rs2294008 (CT vs. CC: adjusted OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.07–1.74, and CT/TT vs.CC: adjusted OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.03–1.63), PSCA rs2976392 (AG vs. GG: adjusted OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.02–1.65, and AG/AA vs. GG: adjusted OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.00–1.59), or PLCE1 rs2274223 (AG vs. AA: adjusted OR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.15–1.90, and AG/GG vs. AA: adjusted OR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.14–1.84), respectively. In contrast, MUC1 rs4072037 was shown to decrease the cancer risk (CT vs. TT: adjusted OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.60–0.98). Patients with more than one risk genotypes had significant increased risk to develop stomach cancer (adjusted OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.03–1.64), when compared with those having 0–1 risk genotypes. Stratified analysis indicated that the increased risk was more pronounced in younger subjects, men, ever smokers, smokers with pack years ≤ 27, patients with high BMI, or non-cardia stomach cancer.ConclusionsThis study substantiated the associations between four previous reported genetic variants and stomach cancer susceptibility in an independent Han Chinese population. Further studies with larger sample size and different ethnicities are warranted to validate our findings.     

Relationship between Interleukin-10 ?1082A/G Polymorphism and Risk of Ischemic Stroke: A Meta-Analysis

Objective

To analyze the association between −1082A/G polymorphism in interleukin-10 (IL-10) gene and ischemic stroke (IS) risk by meta-analysis.

Methods

We carried out a systematic electronic search in PubMed, BIOSIS Previews, Science Direct, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Database, Weipu database and WANGFANG Database. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were calculated to assess the strength of the association.

Results

7 studies were included. There was no significant association between IL-10 −1082A/G polymorphism and IS risk under all genetic models in overall estimates (A vs. G: OR = 1.23,95%CI = 0.85–1.79;AA vs. GG: OR = 1.01,95%CI = 0.47–2.19; AG vs. GG: OR = 0.76, 95%CI = 0.38–1.55; AA+AG vs. GG: OR = 0.89,95%CI = 0.46–1.73; AA vs. AG+GG: OR = 1.39, 95%CI = 0.91–2.13). Similarly, no associations were found in subgroup analysis based on ethnicity and source of controls. However, removing the study deviating from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) produced statistically significant associations for overall estimates under recessive model(AA VS. AG+GG OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.04–2.42) and among Asians in all genetic models (A VS.G OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.07–2.53; AA vs. GG OR1.91, 95% CI 1.31–2.80; AG vs. GG OR1.44, 95% CI 1.09–1.91; AA+AG vs. GG OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.18–2.01;AA VS. AG+GG OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.07–3.00). Even after Bonferroni correction, the associations were observed still significantly in Asians under the two models (AA vs. GG OR1.91, 95% CI 1.31–2.80, P = 0.0008; AA+AG vs. GG OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.18–2.01, P = 0.001).

Conclusion

This meta-analysis indicates that IL10 −1082 A/G polymorphism is associated with IS susceptibility in Asians and the −1082 A allele may increase risk of IS in Asians. Considering the sample size is small and between-study heterogeneity is remarkable, more studies with subtle design are warranted in future.     

Thrombophilic gene polymorphism studies in G6PD deficient individuals from Saudi population

We performed a study to evaluate the role of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), factor V Leiden G1691A (FVL), prothrombin gene mutation G20210A (PRT or FII-G20210A) and methylenotetrahydrofolate reductase variant C677T (MTHFRC677T), as risk factors for G6PD in Saudi populations. Our results did not show any association with the three Thrombophilic genes with FVL gene, no statistical analysis have shown any association with either allele or genotype frequencies OR=0.566, p=.0.667, (95% CI=0.014-22.48) and OR=0.569, p=0.251¸ (95% CI=0.014-22.96).In PRT gene G20210A for G Vs A, p=0.774; OR=0.566 (95%CI; 0.011-29.6); AA+GA Vs GG; p=0.502; OR=0.569 (95%CI=0.010-2969). G and A allele frequencies were similar between cases and controls with no statistical significance. In the MTHFR gene none of the genotypes or allele frequency cannot show any association OR=1.281, p=.0.667, (95% CI=0.414-3.958) and OR=1.1.172, p=0.800¸ (95% CI=0.343-4.008). Similarly, the difference of T allele frequencies between patients and controls was not found any association. In conclusion, our finding indicates that the prevalence of G1691A, G20210A and C677T mutations in G6PD deficient individuals is not statistically different compared to normal subjects and G6PD is not associated with these thrombophilic mutations in Saudi population.     

Association between CASP3 polymorphisms and overall cancer risk: A meta-analysis of case-control studies

Several studies inspected the relationship between caspase-3 (CASP3) polymorphisms and the risk of several human cancers, but the findings remain controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis aiming to inspect the association between CASP3 rs1049216 T>C, rs12108497 C>T, rs4647603 G>A, rs4647602 C>A, rs6948 T>G, rs2705897 A>C, and rs113420705 G>A polymorphisms and cancer risk. Eligible studies were recognized by searching the Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated to quantitatively evaluate the association between each polymorphism of CASP3 and cancer risk. The rs4647603 variant significantly increased the risk of cancer in an overdominant (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.03-2.01; P = 0.03; AG vs AA+GG) inheritance model. Regarding the rs4647602 variant, the findings revealed that this variant was associated with protection against cancer in homozygous codominant (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.56-0.80; P < 0.00001; AA vs CC), dominant (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.73-0.96; P = 0.009; AC+AA vs CC), recessive (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.61-0.79; P < 0.00001; AA vs AC+CC), and allele (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.75-0.88; P = 0.00001; A vs C) models. The findings suggested that the rs2705897 variant significantly decreased the risk of cancer in heterozygous codominant (OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67-0.94; P = 0.009; AC vs AA), dominant (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.69-0.95; P = 0.009; AC+CC vs AA), overdominant (OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.68-0.95; P = 0.01; AC vs CC+AA), and allele (OR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.74-0.97; P = 0.02; C vs A) models. The results did not support an association between CASP3 rs1049216 and rs6948 polymorphisms and cancer risk. In summary, the findings of this meta-analysis support an association between CASP3 polymorphisms and cancer risk. Larger and well-designed studies are desired to evaluate these associations in detail.     

Transforming growth factor-beta3 gene SfaN1 polymorphism in Korean nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate patients

The nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate (NSCL/P) is a congenital deformity of multifactorial origin with a relatively high incidence in the oriental population. Various etiologic candidate genes have been reported with conflicting results, according to race and analysis methods. Recently, the ablation of the TGF-beta3 gene function induced cleft palates in experimental animals. Also, polymorphisms in the TGF-beta3 gene have been studied in different races; however, they have not been studied in Koreans. A novel A --> G single nucleotide polymorphism (defined by the endonuclease SfaN1) was identified in intron 5 of TGF-beta3 (IVS5+104 A > G). It resulted in different genotypes, AA, AG, and GG. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the SfaN1 polymorphism in TGF-beta3 and the risk of NSCL/P in the Korean population. The population of this study consisted of 28 NSCL/P patients and 41 healthy controls. The distribution of the SfaN1 genotypes was different between the cases and controls. The frequency of the G allele was significantly associated with the increased risk of NSCL/P [odds ratio (OR) = 15.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 6.3-41.0]. The risk for the disease increased as the G allele numbers increased (GA genotype: OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 0.38-11.68; GG genotype: OR = 110.2, 95% CI = 10.67 - 2783.29) in NSCL/P. A stratified study in patients revealed that the SfaN1 site IVS5+104A > G substitution was strongly associated with an increased risk of NSCL/P in males (p < 0.001), but not in females. In conclusion, the polymorphism of the SfaN1 site in TGF-beta3 was significantly different between the NSCL/P patients and the control. This may be a good screening marker for NSCL/P patients among Koreans.     

Association of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 2518G/A gene polymorphism with diabetic nephropathy risk

Abstract

Results from the published studies on the association between monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) ?2518 A/G gene polymorphism and diabetic nephropathy (DN) risk are still conflicting. This meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between MCP-1 A/G gene polymorphism and DN risk and to explore whether MCP-1 A allele, AA genotype or GG genotype could become a predictive marker for DN risk. Association studies were identified from the databases of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and CBM-disc (China Biological Medicine Database) as of 1 March 2014, and eligible investigations were synthesized using meta-analysis method. Four studies were identified for the analysis of association between MCP-1 A/G gene polymorphism and DN risk, and all the included studies were form Asian population. The association between MCP-1 A/G gene polymorphism and DN susceptibility was not found (A allele: OR?=?1.19; 95% CI: 0.97–1.45; p?=?0.10; AA genotype: OR?=?1.27; 95% CI: 0.95–1.70; p?=?0.11; GG genotype: OR?=?0.77; 95% CI: 0.57–1.05; p?=?0.10). In the sensitive analysis, according to the control source from hospital, we found that AA genotype was associated with the DN risk (OR?=?1.45; 95% CI: 1.05–2.00; p?=?0.02). However, other associations were not found in the sensitive analysis according to the control source from hospital or population. Our results indicate that AA homozygous might be a significant genetic molecular marker to predict the diabetes mellitus patients developing into DN. However, more investigations are required to further clarify this association.     

Impact of glutathione transferase M1, T1, and P1 gene polymorphisms in the genetic susceptibility of North Indian population to renal cell carcinoma

In this study, we investigated the association of GSTP1, GSTM1, and GSTP1 genetic variants with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) among North Indian patients. The difference in frequency of the GSTT1 null genotype between cases and control subjects was statistically significant (active ver. null, odds ratio [OR]=0.368; confidence intervals [CI] 95%=0.243-0.557, p=0.001). The differences in the frequency of GSTP1 genotypes were statistically significant (AA ver. AG/GG, OR=1.879; CI 95%=0.355-0.797, p=0.002). Higher allelic frequency of the GSTP1 G allele was associated with RCC cases (G ver. A allele, OR=1.534; 95% CI=1.159-2.030, p=0.003). The gene-gene interaction in terms of three-way combination of GSTM1 null, GSTT1 null, and GSTP1 (AG/GG) resulted in 4.5-fold increase in RCC risk (OR=4.452; 95% CI=2.220-9.294). Similarly, our study revealed that GST polymorphism might be a vital determinant of advancement to higher pathological stages and histological grades of RCC. Our findings suggest that genetic variability in members of the GST gene family may be associated with an increased susceptibility to RCC and its progression.