Epstein-Barr Virus-associated Gastric Carcinoma in Japanese Brazilians and Non-Japanese Brazilians in São Paulo

The proportion of Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma (EB V-GC) was examined in 149 Japanese-Brazilian and 151 non-Japanese-Brazilian gastric-carcinoma cases using in situ hybridization (ISH) assay to detect EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER), and the results were compared with our referent Japanese data. We found that 4.7% of cases in Japanese Brazilians were EBER-positive. This frequency was slightly lower than that of the referent Japanese, among whom 6.2% of 2038 gastric-carcinoma cases were EBER-positive. On the other hand, the non-Japanese-Brazilian series showed a significantly higher proportion of EBV-GC (11.2%) than the referent group did (P=0.01). Although EBV-GC was predominant in males among non-Japanese Brazilians (M/ F=3.6, P=0.047), as was the case in Japanese (M/F=2.7), Japanese Brazilians did not show such a male predominance. The sex-ratio difference between the Japanese Brazilians and Japanese was statistically significant (P=0.005). In conclusion, the present study in Japanese Brazilians and Japanese yielded no evidence suggesting any change in the frequency of EBV-GC caused by migration, except the absence of male predominance, which was observed both in Japanese and non-Japanese Brazilians.     

Isoflavone, polymorphisms in estrogen receptor genes and breast cancer risk in case-control studies in Japanese, Japanese Brazilians and non-Japanese Brazilians

Epidemiologic studies have shown an inverse association between isoflavones and breast cancer risk. Because isoflavones bind estrogen receptors, we hypothesized that polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor genes might modify the association between isoflavone intake and breast cancer risk. We conducted hospital-based case-control studies of patients aged 20–74 years with primary, incident, histologically confirmed invasive breast cancer, and matched controls from among medical checkup examinees in Nagano, Japan, and from cancer-free patients in São Paulo, Brazil. A total of 846 pairs (388 Japanese, 79 Japanese Brazilians and 379 non-Japanese Brazilians) completed validated food frequency questionnaires, and provided blood samples. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor alpha (rs9340799, rs1913474, and rs2234693) and beta (rs4986938 and rs1256049) genes were genotyped. We found no consistent association between the five single nucleotide polymorphisms and breast cancer risk among the three populations. In analyses of combinations of isoflavone intake and single nucleotide polymorphisms, an inverse association between intake and risk was limited to women with the GG genotype of the rs4986938 polymorphism for postmenopausal Japanese (odds ratio for highest versus lowest tertile = 0.47; P for trend = 0.01), Japanese Brazilians (odds ratio for highest versus lowest median = 0.31) and non-Japanese Brazilians (odds ratio for consumers versus non-consumers = 0.37) ( P for interaction = 0.11, 0.08, and 0.21, respectively). We found no remarkable difference for the other four polymorphisms. Our findings suggest that polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor beta gene may modify the association between isoflavone intake and breast cancer risk. ( Cancer Sci 2009; 100: 927–933)     

CYP2E1PstI/RsaI polymorphism and interaction with tobacco, alcohol and GSTs in gastric cancer susceptibility: A meta-analysis of the literature

Studies investigating the association between cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) 5'-flanking region (PstI/RsaI) polymorphism and gastric cancer risk report conflicting results. The rationale for this meta-analysis was to determine whether CYP2E1*2 (c2) variant allele of CYP2E1 increases gastric cancer risk, especially by interacting with smoking, alcohol and other metabolic gene polymorphisms. Two investigators independently searched the Medline and Embase databases. A qualitative scoring of papers was applied to their evaluation. Authors of the identified papers were contacted to obtain data on the mentioned co-exposures. A measurement of the biological interaction among two putative risk factors was estimated by the attributable proportion (AP) due to interaction. We identified 13 case-control studies, which included 2066 gastric cancer cases and 2754 controls. Using the random effects model, we found no association between PstI/RsaI genotype and gastric cancer risk [odds ratio (OR) = 0.97 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.79-1.18) for c2 allele carriers and OR = 1.36 (95% CI: 0.82-2.25) for c2 homozygotes compared with homozygotes wild-type]. When only high-quality scored studies were considered, a statistically significant increased risk appeared among Asians [OR = 1.50 (95% CI: 1.16-1.94) for c2 carriers and OR = 2.62 (95% CI: 1.23-5.57) for c2 homozygotes]. No interaction was detected between CYP2E1-smoking/alcohol (AP = 0), while an AP of 60% appeared for individuals both c2 homozygotes and glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) null compared with both homozygotes wild-type. This meta-analysis suggests that the CYP2E1 PstI/RsaI polymorphism may be a risk factor for gastric cancer in Asians, and that a synergic relation among GSTM1 and CYP2E1 may account for a proportion of gastric cancer cases.     

Cytochrome P4502E1 genetic polymorphisms and lung cancer in a Taiwanese population

Cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) is involved in metabolic activation of carcinogenic nitrosamines, benzene and low molecular weight halogenated hydrocarbons. In this study, we assessed the association between CYP2E1 RsaI and DraI genetic polymorphisms and lung cancer in a Taiwanese population. The RsaI genotype distribution was significantly different between 119 lung cancer patients and 231 non-cancer controls. The homozygote variants of RsaI genotypes were more common in controls (6.9%) than in lung cancer patients (0.8%). The estimated odds ratio (OR) was 0.11 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.01-0.87). After adjusting for age, sex, and smoking status, the OR was 0.12 (95%, CI, 0.02-0.95). This is the first observation of a positive association between this locus and lung cancer in an Asian population. No significant differences in CYP2E1 DraI genotype distributions were found between cases and controls. The results of this study indicate that CYP2E1 RsaI polymorphism, but not DraI polymorphism, may contribute to the development of lung cancer in Taiwan.     

Functional RsaI/PstI Polymorphism in Cytochrome P450 2E1 Contributes to Bladder Cancer Susceptibility: Evidence from a Meta-analysis

Background: Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) might be involved in the development of bladder cancer. However, previous studies of any association between CYP2E1 RsaI/PstI polymorphism and bladder cancer risk have yielded conflicting results. In this study, we performed a more precise estimation of the relationship by a meta-analysis based on the currently available evidence from the literature. Method: To assess the effect of CYP2E1 RsaI/PstI polymorphism on bladder cancer susceptibility, a meta-analysis of 6 available studies with 1,510cases and 1,560 controls were performed through Feb 2014. Summary odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the strength of association for CYP2E1 RsaI/PstI polymorphism under different genetic models. Results: When available studies were pooled into the meta-analysis, we found that the C1C2 and C2C2 genotypes of CYP2E1 RsaI/PstI polymorphism significantly decreased bladder cancer risk under different genetic models (heterozygote: OR=0.766, 95%CI=0.613-0.957, POR=0.019; homozygote: OR=0.51, 95%CI=0.303- 0.858, POR=0.011; dominant: OR=0.733, 95%CI=0.593-0.905, POR=0.004; recessive: OR=0.565, 95%CI=0.337-0.947, POR=0.030). Subgroup analysis indicated that C2C2 genotype was significantly associated with decreased bladder cancer risk under the homozygote genetic model in Caucasians. There was no evidence of heterogeneity or publication bias. Conclusions: The current meta-analysis suggested that the CYP2E1 RsaI/PstI polymorphism might be associated with bladder cancer susceptibility, especially in Caucasians. Further studies are needed to validate the above conclusion.     

Dietary isoflavone intake and breast cancer risk in case-control studies in Japanese, Japanese Brazilians, and non-Japanese Brazilians

Although epidemiologic studies have shown an inverse association between isoflavones and breast cancer risk, little evidence for a dose-response relation is available. We conducted hospital-based case-control studies of patients aged 20-74 years with primary, incident, histologically confirmed invasive breast cancer, and matched controls from medical checkup examinees in Nagano, Japan and from cancer-free patients in S?o Paulo, Brazil. A total of 850 pairs (390 Japanese, 81 Japanese Brazilians and 379 non-Japanese Brazilians) completed validated food frequency questionnaires. The odds ratio of breast cancer according to isoflavone intake was estimated using a conditional logistic regression model. We found a statistically significant inverse association between isoflavone intake and the risk of breast cancer for Japanese Brazilians and non-Japanese Brazilians. For Japanese, a non-significant inverse association was limited to postmenopausal women. In the three populations combined, breast cancer risk linearly decreased from 'no' to 'moderate' isoflavone intake and thereafter leveled off. Compared to non-consumers, adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for consumers in increasing quintile intake categories (median intake in each category: 8.7, 23.1, 33.8, 45.7, and 71.3 mg/day) were 0.69 (0.44-1.09), 0.54 (0.31-0.94), 0.45 (0.26-0.77), 0.34 (0.19-0.62), and 0.43 (0.24-0.76), respectively. Overall, we found an inverse association between dietary isoflavone intake and risk of breast cancer. Our finding suggests a risk-reducing rather than risk-enhancing effect of isoflavones on breast cancer within the range achievable from dietary intake alone. In addition, women may benefit from risk reduction if they consume at least moderate amounts of isoflavones.     

Effects of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2A6 gene deletion and CYP2E1 genotypes on gastric adenocarcinoma

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2A6 and CYP2E1 are enzymes with a high ability to activate a nitrosamine, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), to its potent and ultimate carcinogens. The polymorphic CYP2A6 and CYP2E1 have been implicated in increased susceptibility to certain malignancies. In our study, 120 Japanese patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and 158 healthy controls were compared for frequencies of CYP2A6 and CYP2E1 genotypes. The frequency with which the subjects carried homozygotes of the CYP2A6 gene deletion allele, which causes lack of the enzyme activity, was significantly higher in the gastric cancer patients than in the healthy control subjects (OR = 3.14, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 1.05-9.41). Subdividing gastric adenocarcinoma according to tumor differentiation, patients with the well-differentiated type were 4.9-fold more likely to have the CYP2A6 homozygote deletion genotype (OR = 4.91, 95% CI 1.17-20.52). Stratifying by smoking status, we did not find the risk of CYP2A6 gene deletion allele in gastric adenocarcinoma. The CYP2E1 polymorphism detected by RsaI was not significantly different between gastric adenocarcinoma patients (40.8%) and the control population (44.3%). No statistically significant changes were observed when the CYP2E1 genotype was examined relative to tumor differentiation and smoking status. These results suggest that the CTY2A6 deletion is associated with gastric adenocarcinoma among Japanese populations.     

中国人肺癌易患性与CYP2E1基因多型性相关

目的　研究致癌物代谢酶细胞色素P45 0 2E1基因 (CYP2E1)多型性与肺癌风险的关系。方法　以PCR RFLP方法 ,分析 92例肺癌患者和 137例正常对照者RsaI识别的CYP2E1基因型。结果　c1/c1基因型频率在肺癌病例组为 72 8% ,显著 (P <0 0 1)高于对照组的 5 4 7%。多因素分析表明 ,携带c1/c1的个体发生肺癌的危险性比携带c1/c2和c2 /c2的个体高 2 5倍 (OR 2 5 ,95 %CI 1 8～ 3 8)。分层分析发现 ,c1/c1基因型主要增加肺鳞状细胞癌的危险性 (OR 2 6 ,95 %CI 2 3～ 5 8)。重要的是 ,研究发现CYP2E1c1/c1基因型与吸烟有协同作用。c1/c1基因型或吸烟单因素作用的OR分别为 3 9和 4 1,而二者联合作用的OR为 7 9;当吸烟量 <2 0包 年时 ,c1/c2和c2 /c2基因型的OR为 2 4,而c1/c1基因型的OR为 7 6 ;当吸烟量≥ 2 0包 年时 ,前者的OR为 5 5 ,而后者的OR增加到8 7。结论　CYP2E1c1/c1基因型是中国人肺癌的遗传易患性因素 ,此种基因型与吸烟有协同作用。     

Interaction between cytochrome P-450 2E1 polymorphisms and environmental factors with risk of esophageal and stomach cancers in Chinese.

Because cytochrome P-450 2E1 (CYP2E1) is involved in metabolic activation of environmental chemical carcinogens, gene polymorphisms that alter its functions may be associated with cancer susceptibility. However, previous studies have revealed disconcordant results with regard to cancer risk. To investigate gene-environment interactions with the RsaI polymorphism of CYP2E1 in terms of risk of esophageal and stomach cancers, we conducted a case-control study with 93 esophageal and 98 stomach cancer cases and 196 population-based controls in a high-endemic area for these cancers of China. We assayed genomic DNA samples for RFLPs in the CYP2E1 by PCR amplification, followed by digestion with RsaI, and collected information on environmental factors by a questionnaire approach. Odds ratios were estimated with an unconditional logistic model, after adjustment for potential confounding factors. The proportional distribution of the homozygous common RsaI alleles did not differ between cancer cases of the esophagus (59.1%) and stomach (59.2%), and controls (61.7%). However, we found a significant positive interaction between the heterozygous and homozygous RsaI rare alleles and ever-smoking in the odds ratio for stomach cancer (P = 0.015). The interaction between the gene polymorphism and dietary factors, such as garlic consumption, was not observed in both cancer cases. These results suggest that gene-environment interactions between the CYP2E1 polymorphism and smoking may have the potential to alter the susceptibility for cancer development in the stomach.     

Cytochrome P450 2E1 RsaI/PstI and DraI polymorphisms are risk factors for lung cancer in Mongolian and Han population in inner Mongolia

Objective: To explore the relationship between cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) RsaI/PstI and DraI polymorphism and lung cancer susceptibility in Mongolian and Han population in Inner Mongolia of China. Methods: CYP2E1 RsaI/PstI and DraI polymorphisms were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in 64 lung cancer patients, 150 healthy Mongolian and 150 healthy Han individuals. The distribution of genotype and allele frequencies of CYP2E1 RsaI/PstI and DraI polymorphisms we...     

CYP2E1 Genetic Polymorphism with Dietary,Tobacco, Alcohol Habits,H. pylori Infection Status and Susceptibility to Stomach Cancer in Mizoram,India

Background: The incidence of stomach cancer in India is highest in the state of Mizoram. In this populationbased matched case-control study, we evaluated the relationship between CYP450 2E1 RsaI polymorphism andrisk of stomach cancer taking into considering various important dietary habits along with tobacco, alcoholconsumption and H. pylori infection status. Materials and Methods: A total of 105 histologically confirmedstomach cancer cases and 210 matched healthy population controls were recruited. CYP2E1 RsaI genotypes weredetermined by PCR-RFLP and H. pylori infection status by ELISA. Information on various dietary, tobacco andalcohol habits was recorded in a standard questionnaire. Results: Our study revealed no significant associationbetween the CYP2E1 RsaI polymorphism and overall risk of stomach cancer in Mizoram. However, we observeda non-significant protective effect of the variant allele (A) of CYP2E1 against stomach cancer. Tobacco smokerscarrying C/C genotype have three times more risk of stomach cancer, as compared to non-smokers carrying C/Cgenotype. Both Meiziol and cigarette current and past smokers who smoked for more than 10 times per day andcarrying the (C/C) genotype are more prone to develop stomach cancer. Smoke dried fish and preserved meat(smoked/sun dried) consumers carrying C/C genotype possesses higher risk of stomach cancer. No significantassociation between H. pylori infection and CYP2E1 RsaI polymorphism in terms of stomach cancer was observed.Conclusions: Although no direct association between the CYP2E1 RsaI polymorphism and stomach cancer wasobserved, relations with different tobacco and dietary risk habits in terms of developing stomach cancer existin this high risk population of north-eastern part of India. Further in-depth study recruiting larger populationis required to shed more light on this important problem.     

Serological Immunoglobulin G antibody titers to Helicobacter pylori in Japanese Brazilian and Non-Japanese Brazilian gastric cancer patients and controls in S?o Paulo.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is considered a cause of gastric cancer (GC), though evidence for this association is scarce in high-risk areas. Possible case control and/or ethnic differences were investigated as to the presence of H. pylori and its immunogloblin G antibody titer in the multi-ethnic city of S?o Paulo, where the incidence of GC is relatively high. We performed a cross-sectional comparison of antibody titers to H. pylori in Japanese Brazilian, and non-Japanese Brazilian GC patients and their controls. Japanese Brazilian patients were matched by age, sex and ethnicity with two controls, while non-Japanese Brazilian patients were matched as above with one control. Among Japanese Brazilians, 59 of 93 (63.4%) patients with GC and 127 of 186 (68.3%) controls were positive for H. pylori-specific antibody (odds ratio (OR) = 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.47 - 1.36), while among non-Japanese Brazilians, 171 of 228 patients with GC (75.7%) and 178 of 226 controls (78.8%) were positive (OR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.54 - 1.30). The median serum antibody titer was lower in cases than in controls in both ethnic groups. A high titer (H. pylori titer > or = 50) was associated with less likelihood of GC for both ethnic groups (for Japanese Brazilians, OR = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.16 - 0.92; for non-Japanese Brazilians, OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.31 - 1.02). The high titer can be regarded as a sign of the necessity of eradication, and low titer is regarded as a sign of the necessity of close screening for GC in both ethnic groups, because extended atrophy may cause spontaneous disappearance of H. pylori from the stomach.     

细胞色素P450 2E1和谷胱甘肽转硫酶P1基因与食管癌易患性

目的研究与致癌物亚硝胺代谢激活有关的细胞色素Ｐ４５０２Ｅ１基因（ＣＹＰ２Ｅ１）,和与致癌物代谢解毒有关的谷胱甘肽转硫酶Ｐ１基因（ＧＳＴＰ１）多型性与食管癌易患性的关系。方法采用病例－对照分子流行病学方法。以ＰＣＲ－ＲＦＬＰ方法分析食管癌、食管上皮重度增生病例,和与其年龄性别配对的正常对照者（各４５例）ＣＹＰ２Ｅ１和ＧＳＴＰ１的基因型。结果ＧＳＴＰ１基因型在病例和对照者中的分布无显著差别,但ＲｓａＩ识别的ＣＹＰ２Ｅ１基因型,在食管癌、食管上皮重度增生病例及其正常对照者中的分布差别显著。ＣＹＰ２Ｅ１突变型基因频率在正常对照组中为５５．６％,显著高于食管上皮重度增生病例（１７．８％）和食管癌病例（２０．０％;χ２＝２０．８,Ｐ＜０．００１）;携带野生型ＣＹＰ２Ｅ１的个体,发生食管上皮重度增生和食管癌的危险性,比携带变异型ＣＹＰ２Ｅ１的个体各高５倍。结论ＣＹＰ２Ｅ１基因是涉及食管癌变早期过程的遗传易患性因素。     

Ethnic differences in serum pepsinogen levels among Japanese and non-Japanese Brazilian gastric cancer patients and controls

A low level of serum pepsinogen I (Pg I) is a risk factor for gastric cancer (GC); low levels of Pg I and the pepsinogen ratio (Pg I:Pg II) are correlated with chronic atrophic gastritis. We report serum Pg levels and compare the degree of association with GC among Japanese and non-Japanese Brazilians. Sera were cross-sectionally ascertained from 93 Japanese Brazilian patients category matched by age and sex with 110 controls, and 228 non-Japanese Brazilian patients individually matched by age and sex with one control. Among non-Japanese Brazilians, GC was associated with a Pg I level <30 ng/ml (odds ratio [OR], 2.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7-3.8) and a Pg I:Pg II ratio < 3.0 (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 2.2-5.3). However, among Japanese Brazilians, the association was present with a level of Pg I < 30 ng/ml (OR, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.9-6.3), and was weak with a Pg I:Pg II ratio < 3.0 (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.73-2.4). Serum Pg I may be preferred to the Pg I:Pg II ratio to study the association between Pg and GC among Japanese Brazilians.     

Role of alcohol dehydrogenase 3 and cytochrome P-4502E1 genotypes in susceptibility to cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract

Alcohol is a recognized risk factor for upper aerodigestive tract (UAT) cancers, but the mechanism by which alcohol causes cancer remains obscure. Ethanol is oxidized to acetaldehyde (the suspected carcinogenic agent in alcohol) by alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) and cytochrome P-4502E1 (CYP2E1), both of which exhibit great inter-individual variability in activity. The hypothesis that these polymorphisms influence susceptibility to alcohol-related cancers remains poorly documented. We investigated whether ADH(3) and CYP2E1 DraI and RsaI genotypes modified the risk of UAT cancers among 121 oral cavity/pharyngeal cancer patients, 129 laryngeal cancer patients, and 172 controls, all French Caucasians. Cancer risks and gene-alcohol interactions were analyzed by unconditional logistic regression, accounting for potential confounders. ADH(3) genotype was not associated with UAT cancer. In contrast, a 2-fold risk of oral cavity/pharyngeal (OR = 2.0, 95% CI 1.0-3.9) and laryngeal (OR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.0-3.5) cancers was observed for carriers of the CYP2E1 DraI C variant allele compared with other individuals. The risk associated with the CYP2E1 RsaI c2 variant allele also increased for oral cavity/pharyngeal cancer (OR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.0-6. 6). The effects of ADH(3) or CYP2E1 genotype and alcohol or tobacco were independent. The highest risk of oral cavity/pharyngeal cancer was observed among the heaviest drinkers (>80 g/day) with the CYP2E1 DraI C allele (OR = 5.8, 95% CI 1.9-18.2) or the CYP2E1 RsaI c2 allele (OR = 7.2, 95% CI 1.4-38.2) compared with lighter drinkers with other genotypes. Our study suggests that CYP2E1 genotype modifies the risk of UAT cancers, but due to the low frequency of CYP2E1 variant alleles, large-scale studies are needed to confirm our findings.     

Significant association between PTPN11 polymorphism and gastric atrophy among Japanese Brazilians

Background Helicobacter pylori, especially the cytotoxin-associated antigen A (cagA)-positive strains, plays a crucial role in the development of gastric atrophy and gastric cancer. CagA delivered into gastric epithelial cells combines with src homology 2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase-2 (SHP-2), possibly leading to atrophy/cancer. Our previous study found that a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP; IMS-JST057927) of the PTPN11 gene encoding SHP-2, was associated with gastric atrophy among H. pylori-seropositive subjects. This study aimed to examine the reproducibility of the association among Japanese residing in a different circumstance. Methods The subjects were 918 healthy adult Japanese Brazilians from four different areas in Brazil. Blood was sampled from March to May 2001. The target SNP in intron 3 of PTPN11 was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction with confronting two-pair primers (PCR-CTPP). Gastric atrophy was evaluated with serum pepsinogens (PGs); PG I, less than 70 ng/dl and PG I/II ratio, less than 3. Results The genotype frequency of PTPN11 was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium: 65.5% for G/G, 30.4% for G/A, and 4.1% for A/A. The PTPN11 polymorphism had no significant association with H. pylori seropositivity. Among the H. pylori-seropositive subjects, the odds ratios (ORs) of gastric atrophy were 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59–1.47) for the G/A genotype and 0.31 (95% CI, 0.10–0.95) for the A/A genotype, compared with the G/G genotype. Conclusions The present study reproduced the significant association between the A/A genotype and reduced risk of gastric atrophy among Japanese outside Japan. According to the Japan Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (JSNP) database (db)SNP data, the G allele is very frequent among Japanese and rare in Caucasians. This fact may partly explain the distribution of gastric atrophy/cancer in the world.     

The functional polymorphism in monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 gene increases susceptibility to gastric cancer

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1, CCL2) has been suggested to be associated with gastric cancer. We investigated whether the functional single nucleotide polymorphism A-2518G in CCL2 gene influenced susceptibility to gastric cancer. The CCL2 genotypes were determined using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in 1,216 individuals (608 gastric cancer patients and 608 age- and sex-matched controls). The gastric cancer patients showed a significant higher frequency of the variant G allele compared to the controls (P = 0.01). Compared with the wild-type AA carriers, the variant genotypes (GA + GG) of A-2518G polymorphism were associated with a higher risk of gastric cancer (adjusted odds ratio = 1.55, 95% confidence interval = 1.03-2.35). Moreover, the elevated risk of gastric cancer associated with the variant genotypes was especially noteworthy in rural subjects (adjusted odds ratio = 1.92, 95% confidence interval = 1.01-3.65). In addition, stratification of gastric cancer cases according to clinicopathological characters showed that the polymorphism was associated significantly with the depth of tumor infiltration. Our data suggest that the genetic polymorphism CCL2 A-2518G may not only be associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer, but also with advanced stage of gastric cancer in the Chinese population.     

Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma in Japanese Brazilians and non-Japanese Brazilians in S?o Paulo.

The proportion of Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma (EBV-GC) was examined in 149 Japanese-Brazilian and 151 non-Japanese-Brazilian gastric-carcinoma cases using in situ hybridization (ISH) assay to detect EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER), and the results were compared with our referent Japanese data. We found that 4.7% of cases in Japanese Brazilians were EBER-positive. This frequency was slightly lower than that of the referent Japanese, among whom 6.2% of 2038 gastric-carcinoma cases were EBER-positive. On the other hand, the non-Japanese-Brazilian series showed a significantly higher proportion of EBV-GC (11.2%) than the referent group did (P = 0.01). Although EBV-GC was predominant in males among non-Japanese Brazilians (M / F = 3.6, P = 0.047), as was the case in Japanese (M / F = 2.7), Japanese Brazilians did not show such a male predominance. The sex-ratio difference between the Japanese Brazilians and Japanese was statistically significant (P = 0.005). In conclusion, the present study in Japanese Brazilians and Japanese yielded no evidence suggesting any change in the frequency of EBV-GC caused by migration, except the absence of male predominance, which was observed both in Japanese and non-Japanese Brazilians.     

p53 Codon 72 polymorphism in gastric cancer susceptibility in patients with Helicobacter pylori-associated chronic gastritis

p53 codon 72, which produces variant proteins with an arginine (Arg) or proline (Pro), has been reported to be associated with cancers of the lung, esophagus and cervix. However, there have been no reports on the p53 codon 72 polymorphism in gastric cancer susceptibility in patients with Helicobacter pylori-associated chronic gastritis (H. pylori-CG). We, therefore, examined the polymorphism in 117 gastric cancer patients (72 intestinal type and 45 diffuse type) with H. pylori-CG and 116 H. pylori-CG patients without gastric cancer as controls. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis was performed to analyze the p53 codon 72 polymorphism. The crude genotypic frequencies in the gastric cancer patients were similar to those of the controls. However, when gastric cancers were classified by histologic subtype, the Pro/Pro was more frequent in the patients with diffuse type gastric cancer than in the controls (22.2% of cases vs. 12.1% of controls). The Pro/Pro genotype was associated with a 2.98-fold higher risk of diffuse-type cancer compared to the Arg/Arg genotype (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-8.32, p = 0.038). These results suggest that the Pro/Pro genotype at p53 codon 72 contributes to susceptibility for diffuse-type gastric cancer in patients with H. pylori-CG. The p53 codon 72 polymorphism may serve as the genetic marker for the risk assessment of the diffuse-type gastric cancer development in patients with H. pylori-CG.