Association of STAT4 with rheumatoid arthritis in the Korean population

A recent study in the North American White population has documented the association of a common STAT4 haplotype (tagged by rs7574865) with risk for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus. To replicate this finding in the Korean population, we performed a case-control association study. We genotyped 67 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the STAT1 and STAT4 regions in 1123 Korean patients with RA and 1008 ethnicity-matched controls. The most significant four risk SNPs (rs11889341, rs7574865, rs8179673, and rs10181656 located within the third intron of STAT4) among 67 SNPs are identical with those in the North American study. All four SNPs have modest risk for RA susceptibility (odds ratio 1.21-1.27). A common haplotype defined by these markers (TTCG) carries significant risk for RA in Koreans [34 percent versus 28 percent, P=0.0027, OR (95 percent CI)=1.33 (1.10-1.60)]. By logistic regression analysis, this haplotype is an independent risk factor in addition to the classical shared epitope alleles at the HLA-DRB1 locus. There were no significant associations with age of disease onset, radiographic progression, or serologic status using either allelic or haplotypic analysis. Unlike several other risk genes for RA such as PTPN22, PADI4, and FCRL3, a haplotype of the STAT4 gene shows consistent association with RA susceptibility across Whites and Asians, suggesting that this risk haplotype predates the divergence of the major racial groups.     

A common genetic variant of 5p15.33 is associated with risk for prostate cancer in the Chinese population

Recent evidence has suggested that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located at 5p15.33 contribute to susceptibilities for several cancer types, including prostate cancer. To determine whether SNP rs402710 in this region plays a role in prostate cancer, we analyzed these associations in a Chinese population; 251 prostate cancer patients and 273 control subjects were included in this case-control study. Genotypes were determined by PCR-RFLP. We found that subjects carrying the CC homozygote had a decreased risk for prostrate cancer compared to those carrying TT/TC genotypes (odds ratio (OR) = 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.48-0.98, P = 0.038). Compared with the TT homozygote, subjects carrying the CC homozygote also had a decreased risk for prostate cancer (OR = 0.71, 95%CI = 0.51-0.99, P = 0.043). We conclude that rs402710 polymorphisms in the 5p15.33 region are associated with prostate cancer risk in the Chinese population. Further investigations with large cohorts and done worldwide are warranted to determine whether our findings are detected in other populations.     

MicroRNA Related Polymorphisms and Breast Cancer Risk

Genetic variations, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in microRNAs (miRNA) or in the miRNA binding sites may affect the miRNA dependent gene expression regulation, which has been implicated in various cancers, including breast cancer, and may alter individual susceptibility to cancer. We investigated associations between miRNA related SNPs and breast cancer risk. First we evaluated 2,196 SNPs in a case-control study combining nine genome wide association studies (GWAS). Second, we further investigated 42 SNPs with suggestive evidence for association using 41,785 cases and 41,880 controls from 41 studies included in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC). Combining the GWAS and BCAC data within a meta-analysis, we estimated main effects on breast cancer risk as well as risks for estrogen receptor (ER) and age defined subgroups. Five miRNA binding site SNPs associated significantly with breast cancer risk: rs1045494 (odds ratio (OR) 0.92; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.88–0.96), rs1052532 (OR 0.97; 95% CI: 0.95–0.99), rs10719 (OR 0.97; 95% CI: 0.94–0.99), rs4687554 (OR 0.97; 95% CI: 0.95–0.99, and rs3134615 (OR 1.03; 95% CI: 1.01–1.05) located in the 3′ UTR of CASP8, HDDC3, DROSHA, MUSTN1, and MYCL1, respectively. DROSHA belongs to miRNA machinery genes and has a central role in initial miRNA processing. The remaining genes are involved in different molecular functions, including apoptosis and gene expression regulation. Further studies are warranted to elucidate whether the miRNA binding site SNPs are the causative variants for the observed risk effects.     

Polymorphisms of CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 Gene Cluster and NSCLC Risk in Chinese Population

AIM: To explore the potential association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and haplotypes of the CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 gene cluster and the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) susceptibility in never-smoking Chinese. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted with 200 NSCLC patients and 200 healthy controls, matched on age and sex. Five SNPs distributed in CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 gene cluster were selected for genotyping. The association between genotype and lung cancer risk was evaluated by computing the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) from multivariate unconditional logistic regression analyses with adjustment for gender and age. RESULTS: For CHRNA3 rs578776 status, data were available in 199 NSCLC patients and 199 controls. The G/G homozygote in CHRNB4 rs7178270 had a reduced risk of developing NSCLC (OR = 0.553; 95% CI = 0.309–0.989; P = .0437), especially squamous cell carcinoma (SQC) (OR = 0.344; 95% CI = 0.161–0.732; P = .0043), compared with those who carry at least one C allele (C/C and C/G). The polymorphisms of rs578776, rs938682, rs17486278, and rs11637635 were not significantly different between controls and cases or between controls and histologic subgroups, adenocarcinoma and SQC, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, we found that the SNP of CHRNB4 rs7178270 is significantly associated with reduced risk of NSCLC, especially with reduced risk of SQC in never-smoking Chinese population.     

Association between the European GWAS-Identified Susceptibility Locus at Chromosome 4p16 and the Risk of Atrial Septal Defect: A Case-Control Study in Southwest China and a Meta-Analysis

Atrial septal defect (ASD) is the third most frequent type of congenital heart anomaly, featuring shunting of blood between the two atria. Gene-environment interaction remains to be an acknowledged cause for ASD occurrence. A recent European genome-wide association study (GWAS) of congenital heart disease (CHD) identified 3 susceptibility SNPs at chromosome 4p16 associated with ASD: rs870142, rs16835979 and rs6824295. A Chinese-GWAS of CHD conducted in the corresponding period did not reveal the 3 susceptibility SNPs, but reported 2 different risk SNPs: rs2474937 and rs1531070. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the associations between the 3 European GWAS-identified susceptibility SNPs and ASD risk in the Han population in southwest China. Additionally, to increase the robustness of our current analysis, we conducted a meta-analysis combining published studies and our current case-control study. We performed association, linkage disequilibrium, and haplotype analysis among the 3 SNPs in 190 ASD cases and 225 age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched healthy controls. Genotype and allele frequencies among the 3 SNPs showed statistically significant differences between the cases and controls. Our study found that individuals carrying the allele T of rs870142, the allele A of rs16835979, and the allele T of rs6824295 had a respective 50.1% (odds ratio (OR) = 1.501, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.122-2.009, P_FDR-BH = 0.018), 48.5% (OR = 1.485, 95%CI = 1.109-1.987, P_FDR-BH = 0.012), and 38.6% (OR = 1.386, 95%CI = 1.042-1.844, P_FDR-BH = 0.025) increased risk to develop ASD than wild-type allele carriers in our study cohort. In the haplotype analysis, we identified a disease-risk haplotype (TAT) (OR = 1.540, 95%CI = 1.030-2.380, P_FDR-BH = 0.016). Our meta-analysis also showed that the investigated SNP was associated with ASD risk (combined OR (95%CI) = 1.35 (1.24-1.46), P < 0.00001). Our study provides compelling evidence to motivate better understanding of the etiology of ASD.     

Chromosome 15q25 (CHRNA3-CHRNB4) Variation Indirectly Impacts Lung Cancer Risk in Chinese Males

Introduction

Recently, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in Caucasian populations have identified an association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CHRNA5-A3-B4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit gene cluster on chromosome 15q25, lung cancer risk and smoking behaviors. However, these SNPs are rare in Asians, and there is currently no consensus on whether SNPs in CHRNA5-A3-B4 have a direct or indirect carcinogenic effect through smoking behaviors on lung cancer risk. Though some studies confirmed rs6495308 polymorphisms to be associated with smoking behaviors and lung cancer, no research was conducted in China. Using a case-control study, we decided to investigate the associations between CHRNA3 rs6495308, CHRNB4 rs11072768, smoking behaviors and lung cancer risk, as well as explore whether the two SNPs have a direct or indirect carcinogenic effect on lung cancer.

Methods

A total of 1025 males were interviewed using a structured questionnaire (204 male lung cancer patients and 821 healthy men) to acquire socio-demographic status and smoking behaviors. Venous blood samples were collected to measure rs6495308 and rs11072768 gene polymorphisms. All subjects were divided into 3 groups: non-smokers, light smokers (1–15 cigarettes per day) and heavy smokers (>15 cigarettes per day).

Results

Compared to wild genotype, rs6495308 and rs11072768 variant genotypes reported smoking more cigarettes per day and a higher pack-years of smoking (P<0.05). More importantly, among smokers, both rs6495308 CT/TT and rs11072768 GT/GG had a higher risk of lung cancer compared to wild genotype without adjusting for potential confounding factors (OR = 1.36, 95%CI = 1.09–1.95; OR = 1.11, 95%CI = 1.07–1.58 respectively). Furthermore, heavy smokers with rs6495308 or rs11072768 variant genotypes have a positive interactive effect on lung cancer after adjustment for potential confounding factors (OR = 1.13, 95%CI = 1.01–3.09; OR = 1.09, 95%CI = 1.01–3.41 respectively). However, No significant associations were found between lung cancer risk and both rs6495308 and rs11072768 genotypes among non-smokers and smokers after adjusting for age, occupation, and education.

Conclusion

This study confirmed both rs6495308 and rs11072768 gene polymorphisms association with smoking behaviors and had an indirect link between gene polymorphisms and lung cancer risk.     

The Association of Adiponectin Gene Promoter Variations with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in a Han Chinese Population

Recently, in vitro studies have demonstrated that adiponectin has antiangiogenic and tumor growth-limiting properties. Additionally, serum adiponectin levels have been associated with the risk of several cancers; specifically, serum adiponectin was significantly lower in lung cancer patients with advanced-stage disease. In this study, we examined the association of adiponectin gene promoter variations associated with adiponectin gene expression and plasma levels in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a Han Chinese population. A total of 319 patients with NSCLC and 489 healthy individuals were recruited to evaluate the association of four adiponectin gene promoter single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (SNP-12140G>A, SNP-11426A>G, SNP-11391G>A and SNP-11377C>G) with NSCLS risk. Additionally, we constructed haplotypes of these four SNPs and evaluated the association of these haplotypes with NSCLS risk. Our results showed that among these four SNPs, only SNP-12140G>A was associated with NSCLC risk(P<0.05). The haplotype analysis showed that no haplotype was associated with NSCLC after performing a Bonferroni correction (P>0.05). Additionally, an association analysis of the four SNPs stratified into pathologic stages I+II and III+IV showed that these SNPs did not exhibit significant differences between pathologic stages I+II and III+IV. Moreover, we did not observe any differences in allele and genotype frequency for these SNPs between adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Our results indicated that the G allele of SNP-12140may be a risk factor for NSCLC (OR = 1.516; 95% CI: 1.098–2.094) in this Han Chinese population.     

Osteopontin and systemic lupus erythematosus association: a probable gene-gender interaction

Osteopontin (SPP1) is an important bone matrix mediator found to have key roles in inflammation and immunity. SPP1 genetic polymorphisms and increased osteopontin protein levels have been reported to be associated with SLE in small patient collections. The present study evaluates association between SPP1 polymorphisms and SLE in a large cohort of 1141 unrelated SLE patients [707 European-American (EA) and 434 African-American (AA)], and 2009 unrelated controls (1309 EA and 700 AA). Population-based case-control association analyses were performed. To control for potential population stratification, admixture adjusted logistic regression, genomic control (GC), structured association (STRAT), and principal components analysis (PCA) were applied. Combined analysis of 2 ethnic groups, showed the minor allele of 2 SNPs (rs1126616T and rs9138C) significantly associated with higher risk of SLE in males (P = 0.0005, OR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.28-2.33), but not in females. Indeed, significant gene-gender interactions in the 2 SNPs, rs1126772 and rs9138, were detected (P = 0.001 and P = 0.0006, respectively). Further, haplotype analysis identified rs1126616T-rs1126772A-rs9138C which demonstrated significant association with SLE in general (P = 0.02, OR = 1.30, 95%CI 1.08-1.57), especially in males (P = 0.0003, OR = 2.42, 95%CI 1.51-3.89). Subgroup analysis with single SNPs and haplotypes also identified a similar pattern of gender-specific association in AA and EA. GC, STRAT, and PCA results within each group showed consistent associations. Our data suggest SPP1 is associated with SLE, and this association is especially stronger in males. To our knowledge, this report serves as the first association of a specific autosomal gene with human male lupus.     

Relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism of interleukin-18 and susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis in the Chinese Han population

Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a multi-functional cytokine capable of inducing either Th1 or Th2 polarization depending on the immunologic milieu. IL-18 may influence the host response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection. To investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms of the IL-18 and susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis in the Chinese Han population, the IL-18 gene was sequenced to detect polymorphisms and to examine the genotype frequencies in 300 patients and 702 healthy controls. DNA sequencing revealed three IL-18 variants: rs1946518, rs5744247, and rs549908. It also revealed that allele A of rs1946518 confers a 1.47-fold increased risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) (P = 0.0001, OR [95%CI] = 1.47 [1.21-1.78]), and that the C allele of rs5744247 confers a 0.77-fold decreased risk of disease (P = 0.01, R [95%CI] = 0.77 [0.632-0.937]). The genotypes rs1946518, rs5744247 and rs549908 were found to be significantly associated with TB. Estimation of the frequencies of haplotypes revealed a potential risk haplotype AGA (P = 0.01, OR [95%CI] = 1.41 [1.15-1.72]) and a protective haplotype CCA (P = 0.01, OR [95%CI] = 0.70 [0.57-0.85]) for TB. The present findings suggest that polymorphisms in the IL-18 gene may affect susceptibility to TB and increase the risk of developing the disease in the Chinese Han population.     

Genetic variants in the microRNA machinery gene GEMIN4 are associated with risk of prostate cancer: a case-control study of the Chinese Han population

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms located in the microRNA biogenesis pathway could alter the risk for developing prostate cancer. The present study was intended to identify common genetic variants responsible for prostate cancer susceptibility in the GEMIN4 gene. The high-resolution melting method was used to genotype seven polymorphisms (rs7813, rs4968104, rs3744741, rs2740348, rs1062923, rs910925, and rs910924) in the GEMIN4 gene in 300 prostate cancer patients and 244 matched controls. The encouraging discovery in this study was in the rs2740348. Patients carrying the variant heterozygote GC genotype in the rs2740348 were at a 36% decreased risk of prostate cancer (odds ratio [OR] = 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.42, 0.99). Similarly, this variant allele carrier showed significant risk for prostate cancer (OR = 0.64). In addition, subjects carrying the homozygote TT genotype in the rs7813 had a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer (OR = 2.53, 95% CI = 1.07, 6.28). Two common haplotypes were found to be associated with decreased risk of prostate cancer. In the subgroup analysis, higher risk of more severity of prostate cancer (clinical stage III and IV) was observed in individuals with the rs7813 TT genotype (OR = 2.64, 95% CI = 1.02, 7.64), while lower risk of more severity of prostate cancer was observed in individuals with the rs3744741 T allele (OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.50, 0.96). Overall, our study provides substantial support for the association between the GEMIN4 gene and the risk of prostate cancer.     

Three ADIPOR1 Polymorphisms and Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis of Case-Control Studies

Background

Studies have come to conflicting conclusions about whether polymorphisms in the adiponectin receptor 1 gene (ADIPOR1) are associated with cancer risk. To help resolve this question, we meta-analyzed case-control studies in the literature.

Methods

PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, the Chinese Biological Medical Database and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Database were systematically searched to identify all case-control studies published through February 2015 examining any ADIPOR1 polymorphisms and risk of any type of cancer. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

Results

A total of 13 case-control studies involving 5,750 cases and 6,762 controls were analyzed. Analysis of the entire study population revealed a significant association between rs1342387(G/A) and overall cancer risk using a homozygous model (OR 0.82, 95%CI 0.72 to 0.94), heterozygous model (OR 0.84, 95%CI 0.76 to 0.93), dominant model (OR 0.85, 95%CI 0.75 to 0.97) and allele contrast model (OR 0.88, 95%CI 0.80 to 0.97). However, subgroup analysis showed that this association was significant only for Asians in the case of colorectal cancer. No significant associations were found between rs12733285(C/T) or rs7539542(C/G) and cancer risk, either in analyses of the entire study population or in analyses of subgroups.

Conclusions

Our meta-analysis suggests that the ADIPOR1 rs1342387(G/A) polymorphism, but not rs12733285(C/T) or rs7539542(C/G), may be associated with cancer risk, especially risk of colorectal cancer in Asians. Large, well-designed studies are needed to verify our findings.     

自噬通路基因多态性与晚期非小细胞肺癌含铂化疗疗效的相关性分析

对晚期非小细胞肺癌患者采用含铂化疗是肺癌临床治疗中非常重要的方法,然而不同患者对含铂化疗的敏感性却存在着明显的个体差异,这提示发现潜在的分子标志物对预测临床中含铂化疗疗效具有关键作用。本研究旨在探索自噬通路基因多态性与晚期非小细胞肺癌含铂化疗疗效之间的相关性,以期寻找可能影响含铂化疗药物敏感性的分子标记。本研究纳入了1004例接受含铂化疗的晚期非小细胞肺癌患者,分析了自噬通路中13个基因上的99个SNP位点与含铂化疗临床获益、无疾病进展时间及总生存时间之间的相关性。研究发现,位于ULK1基因的位点rs7953348(G>A) (P=0.017, OR:0.67, 95%CI:0.49~0.93)和rs12303764(A>C) (P=0.009, OR:0.63, 95%CI:0.45-0.89)及位于ATG14基因上的位点rs17742719(C>A) (P=0.002, OR:1.83, 95%CI:1.26~2.66)、rs8003279(A>G) (P=0.006, OR:1.65, 95%CI:1.16~2.35)和rs1009647(G>A) (P=0.002, OR:1.70, 95%CI:1.22~2.37)与临床获益存在显著关联,位于DRAM基因上的位点rs7955890(G>A) (P=0.004, HR:0.63; 95%CI:0.46~0.86)和rs17032060(G>A) (P=0.006, HR:0.65, 95%CI:0.48~0.88)及位于ATG3基因上的位点rs13082005(G>A) (P=0.012, HR:1.27,95%CI:1.05~1.53)与含铂化疗的无疾病进展时间显著相关,位于ULK1基因的位点rs7953348(G>A) (P=0.011, HR:0.74, 95%CI:0.58~0.93)和位于ATG10基因上的位点rs1864183(G>A) (P=0.016, HR:0.42, 95%CI:0.21~0.85)对含铂化疗的总生存时间有着显著影响。研究结果提示自噬通路在含铂化疗敏感性中发挥着重要作用,自噬通路基因多态性可能是预测含铂化疗疗效的潜在分子标志物,这可能为临床上肺癌的个体化医疗提供一定的理论基础。     

Dectin-1 and DC-SIGN polymorphisms associated with invasive pulmonary Aspergillosis infection

The recognition of pathogen-derived structures by C-type lectins and the chemotactic activity mediated by the CCL2/CCR2 axis are critical steps in determining the host immune response to fungi. The present study was designed to investigate whether the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within DC-SIGN, Dectin-1, Dectin-2, CCL2 and CCR2 genes influence the risk of developing Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis (IPA). Twenty-seven SNPs were selected using a hybrid functional/tagging approach and genotyped in 182 haematological patients, fifty-seven of them diagnosed with proven or probable IPA according to the 2008 EORTC/MSG criteria. Association analysis revealed that carriers of the Dectin-1(rs3901533 T/T) and Dectin-1(rs7309123 G/G) genotypes and DC-SIGN(rs4804800 G), DC-SIGN(rs11465384 T), DC-SIGN(7248637 A) and DC-SIGN(7252229 C) alleles had a significantly increased risk of IPA infection (OR = 5.59 95%CI 1.37-22.77; OR = 4.91 95%CI 1.52-15.89; OR = 2.75 95%CI 1.27-5.95; OR = 2.70 95%CI 1.24-5.90; OR = 2.39 95%CI 1.09-5.22 and OR = 2.05 95%CI 1.00-4.22, respectively). There was also a significantly increased frequency of galactomannan positivity among patients carrying the Dectin-1(rs3901533_T) allele and Dectin-1(rs7309123_G/G) genotype. In addition, healthy individuals with this latter genotype showed a significantly decreased level of Dectin-1 mRNA expression compared to C-allele carriers, suggesting a role of the Dectin-1(rs7309123) polymorphism in determining the levels of Dectin-1 and, consequently, the level of susceptibility to IPA infection. SNP-SNP interaction (epistasis) analysis revealed significant interactions models including SNPs in Dectin-1, Dectin-2, CCL2 and CCR2 genes, with synergistic genetic effects. Although these results need to be further validated in larger cohorts, they suggest that Dectin-1, DC-SIGN, Dectin-2, CCL2 and CCR2 genetic variants influence the risk of IPA infection and might be useful in developing a risk-adapted prophylaxis.     

Large scale replication study of the association between HLA class II/BTNL2 variants and osteoarthritis of the knee in European-descent populations

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and a major cause of disability. This study evaluates the association in Caucasian populations of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) mapping to the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) region and deriving from a genome wide association scan (GWAS) of knee OA in Japanese populations. The frequencies for rs10947262 were compared in 36,408 controls and 5,749 knee OA cases from European-descent populations. rs7775228 was tested in 32,823 controls and 1,837 knee OA cases of European descent. The risk (major) allele at rs10947262 in Caucasian samples was not significantly associated with an odds ratio (OR) =?1.07 (95%CI 0.94 -1.21; p?=?0.28). For rs7775228 the meta-analysis resulted in OR?=?0.94 (95%CI 0.81-1.09; p?=?0.42) for the allele associated with risk in the Japanese GWAS. In Japanese individuals these two SNPs are in strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) (r(2)?=?0.86) with the HLA class II haplotype DRB1*1502 DQA1*0103 DQB1*0601 (frequency 8%). In Caucasian and Chinese samples, using imputed data, these SNPs appear not to be in LD with that haplotype (r(2)<0.07). The rs10947262 and rs7775228 variants are not associated with risk of knee OA in European descent populations and they do not appear tag the same HLA class II haplotype as they do in Japanese individuals.     

XRCC1 and ERCC1 variants modify malignant mesothelioma risk: a case-control study

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare aggressive tumor associated with asbestos exposure. The possible role of genetic factors has also been suggested and MPM has been associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of xenobiotic and oxidative metabolism enzymes. We have identified an association of the DNA repair gene XRCC1 with MPM in the population of Casale Monferrato, a town exposed to high asbestos pollution. To extend this observation we examined 35 SNPs in 15 genes that could be involved in MPM carcinogenicity in 220 MPM patients and 296 controls from two case-control studies conducted in Casale (151 patients, 252 controls) and Turin (69 patients, 44 controls), respectively. Unconditional multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Two DNA repair genes were associated with MPM, i.e. XRCC1 and ERCC1. Considering asbestos-exposed only, the risk increased with the increasing number of XRCC1-399Q alleles (Casale: OR=1.44, 95%CI 1.02-2.03; Casale+Turin: OR=1.34, 95%CI 0.98-1.84) or XRCC1 -77T alleles (Casale+Turin: OR=1.33, 95%CI 0.97-1.81). The XRCC1-TGGGGGAACAGA haplotype was significantly associated with MPM (Casale: OR=1.76, 95%CI 1.04-2.96). Patients heterozygotes for ERCC1 N118N showed an increased OR in all subjects (OR=1.66, 95%CI 1.06-2.60) and in asbestos-exposed only (OR=1.59, 95%CI 1.01-2.50). When the dominant model was considered (i.e. ERCC1 heterozygotes CT plus homozygotes CC versus homozygotes TT) the risk was statistically significant both in all subjects (OR=1.61, 95%CI 1.06-2.47) and in asbestos-exposed only (OR=1.56, 95%CI 1.02-2.40). The combination of ERCC1 N118N and XRCC1 R399Q was statistically significant (Casale: OR=2.02, 95%CI 1.01-4.05; Casale+Turin: OR=2.39, 95%CI 1.29-4.43). The association of MPM with DNA repair genes support the hypothesis that an increased susceptibility to DNA damage may favour asbestos carcinogenicity.     

Association between common genetic variants in pre-microRNAs and gastric cancer risk in Japanese population

Background: Common single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in microRNAs (miRNA) have been shown to be associated with susceptibility to several human cancers. We evaluated the associations of three SNPs (rs11614913, rs2910164, and rs3746444) in pre‐miRNAs (miR‐196a2, miR‐146a, and miR‐499) with the risk of gastric cancer (GC) and peptic ulcer diseases, and with the severity of Helicobacter pylori‐induced gastritis in Japanese population. Methods: The rs11614913 (C>T), rs2910164 (G>C), and rs3746444 (A>G) SNPs were genotyped in 552 GC, and 697 non‐cancer subjects, including 141 gastric and 73 duodenal ulcer, and 483 non‐ulcer subjects. The degree of histologic gastritis was classified according to the updated Sydney System, and the serum pepsinogen levels were measured in selected 579 and 204 cases. Results: The rs2910164 CC genotype held a significantly higher risk of GC when compared to non‐cancer subjects (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02–1.66, p =.03). Similarly, the rs2910164 C carrier was associated with higher risk of GC when compared to both non‐cancer and non‐ulcer subjects (OR = 1.39, 95%CI = 1.00–1.93, p =.05, adjusted OR = 1.57, 95%CI = 1.09–2.27, p =.016, respectively). The rs2910164 CC genotype was associated with non‐cardia and upper third, diffuse type and advanced stage GC. The rs11614913 TT genotype was associated with higher degree of mononuclear cell infiltration (score 0–1 vs 2～, adjusted OR = 1.62, 95%CI = 1.05–2.49, p =.03). Conclusions: The rs2910164 (G>C) SNP in the miR‐146a is associated with susceptibility to GC. In addition, the rs11614913 (C>T) SNP in the miR‐196a2 is associated with the degree of H. pylori‐induced mononuclear cell infiltration.     

No Evidence of Association between Common Autoimmunity STAT4 and IL23R Risk Polymorphisms and Non-Anterior Uveitis

Objective

STAT4 and IL23R loci represent common susceptibility genetic factors in autoimmunity. We decided to investigate for the first time the possible role of different STAT4/IL23R autoimmune disease-associated polymorphisms on the susceptibility to develop non-anterior uveitis and its main clinical phenotypes.

Methods

Four functional polymorphisms (rs3821236, rs7574865, rs7574070, and rs897200) located within STAT4 gene as well as three independent polymorphisms (rs7517847, rs11209026, and rs1495965) located within IL23R were genotyped using TaqMan® allelic discrimination in a total of 206 patients with non-anterior uveitis and 1553 healthy controls from Spain.

Results

No statistically significant differences were found when allele and genotype distributions were compared between non-anterior uveitis patients and controls for any STAT4 (rs3821236: P=0.39, OR=1.12, CI 95%=0.87-1.43; rs7574865: P=0.59 OR=1.07, CI 95%=0.84-1.37; rs7574070: P=0.26, OR=0.89, CI 95%=0.72-1.10; rs897200: P=0.22, OR=0.88, CI 95%=0.71-1.08;) or IL23R polymorphisms (rs7517847: P=0.49, OR=1.08, CI 95%=0.87-1.33; rs11209026: P=0.26, OR=0.78, CI 95%=0.51-1.21; rs1495965: P=0.51, OR=0.93, CI 95%=0.76-1.15).

Conclusion

Our results do not support a relevant role, similar to that described for other autoimmune diseases, of IL23R and STAT4 polymorphisms in the non-anterior uveitis genetic predisposition. Further studies are needed to discard a possible weak effect of the studied variant.