Research article
Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism in patients with gastric and colorectal cancer in a Korean population
1 Department of Public Health, Qingdao University Medical college, Qingdao, China
2 Department of Preventive Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, South Korea
3 Jeonnam Regional Cancer Center, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
4 Genome Research Center for Hematopoietic Diseases, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
5 Department of Hematology-Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
6 Department of Surgery, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
7 Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, South Korea
BMC Cancer 2010, 10:236 doi:10.1186/1471-2407-10-236
Published: 26 May 2010Abstract
Background
This study was designed to investigate an association between the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism and the risk of gastric and colorectal cancer in the Korean population.
Methods
We conducted a population-based large-scale case-control study involving 2,213 patients with newly diagnosed gastric cancer, 1,829 patients with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer, and 1,700 healthy controls. Genotyping was performed with peripheral blood DNA for MTHFR C677T polymorphisms. The statistical significance was estimated by logistic regression analysis.
Results
The MTHFR C677T frequencies of CC, CT, and TT genotypes were 35.2%, 47.5%, and 17.3% among stomach cancer, 34%, 50.5%, and 15.5% in colorectal cancer, and 31.8%, 50.7%, and 17.5% in the controls, respectively. The MTHFR 677TT genotype showed a weak opposite association with colorectal cancer compared to the homozygous CC genotype [adjusted age and sex odds ratio (OR) = 0.792, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.638-0.984, P = 0.035]. Subjects with the MTHFR 677CT showed a significantly reduced risk of gastric cancer compared whose with the 677CC genotype (age- and sex-adjusted OR = 0.810; 95% CI = 0.696-0.942, P = 0.006). We also observed no significant interactions between the MTHFR C677T polymorphism and smoking or drinking in the risk of gastric and colorectal cancer.
Conclusions
The T allele was found to provide a weak protective association with gastric cancer and colorectal cancer.
