Browsing by Author "Jin, Li"
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Item Open Access A Functional Polymorphism (rs2494752) in the AKT1 Promoter Region and Gastric Adenocarcinoma Risk in an Eastern Chinese Population.(Scientific reports, 2016-01-28) Wang, Meng-Yun; He, Jing; Zhu, Mei-Ling; Teng, Xiao-Yan; Li, Qiao-Xin; Sun, Meng-Hong; Wang, Xiao-Feng; Yang, Ya-Jun; Wang, Jiu-Cun; Jin, Li; Wang, Ya-Nong; Wei, Qing-YiAKT is an important signal transduction protein that plays a crucial role in cancer development. Therefore, we evaluated associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the AKT promoter region and gastric cancer (GCa) risk in a case-control study of 1,110 GCa patients and 1,114 matched cancer-free controls. We genotyped five SNPs (AKT1 rs2494750G >C, AKT1 rs2494752A >G, AKT1 rs10138227C >T, AKT2 rs7254617G>A and AKT2 rs2304186G >T) located in the 5' upstream regulatory, first intron or promoter regions. In the logistic regression analysis, a significantly elevated GCa risk was associated with the rs2494752 AG/GG variant genotypes (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02-1.42) under a dominant genetic model, and this risk was more evident in subgroups of ever drinkers. The luciferase reporter assay showed that the rs2494752 G allele significantly increased luciferase activity. Our results suggest that the potentially functional AKT1 rs2494752 SNP may affect GCa susceptibility, likely by modulating the AKT1 promoter transcriptional activity. Larger, independent studies are warranted to validate our findings.Item Open Access Associations of genotypes and haplotypes of IL-17 with risk of gastric cancer in an eastern Chinese population.(Oncotarget, 2016-12) Zhou, Fei; Qiu, Li-Xin; Cheng, Lei; Wang, Meng-Yun; Li, Jin; Sun, Meng-Hong; Yang, Ya-Jun; Wang, Jiu-Cun; Jin, Li; Wang, Ya-Nong; Wei, Qing-YiInterleukin-17 plays a crucial role in inflammation-related carcinogenesis. We hypothesize that genetic variants in IL-17 are associated with gastric cancer (GCa) risk, and we genotyped five potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs1974226 G > A, rs2275913 A > G, rs3819024 A > G, rs4711998 A > G, and rs8193036 C > T) of IL-17 in 1121 GCa patients and 1216 cancer-free controls in an eastern Chinese population. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Meta-analysis and genotype-mRNA expression correlation were performed to further validate positive associations. We found that an increased GCa risk was independently associated with rs1974226 (adjusted OR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.27-5.32 for AA vs. GG + GA) and rs2275913 (adjusted OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.03-1.72 for GA + AA vs. GG), while a decreased GCa risk was independently associated with rs3819024 (adjusted OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.54-0.96 for GG vs. AA + AG). Additional meta-analyses confirmed the observed risk association with rs2275913. We also found that two IL-17 haplotypes (G-G-G-A-C) and (A-G-G-A-C) (in the order of rs1974226, rs2275913, rs3819024, rs4711998 and rs8193036) were associated with a reduced GCa risk (adjusted OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.46-0.89 and adjusted OR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.17-0.81, respectively). However, the expression Quantitative Trait Locus (eQTL) analysis for the genotype-phenotype correlation did not find mRNA expression changes associated with either the genotypes. In conclusions, genetic variants of IL-17 are likely to be associated with risk of GCa, and additional larger studies with functional validation are needed to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the observed associations.Item Open Access Associations of PI3KR1 and mTOR polymorphisms with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma risk and gene-environment interactions in Eastern Chinese populations.(Scientific reports, 2015-01) Zhu, Jinhong; Wang, Mengyun; Zhu, Meiling; He, Jin; Wang, Jiu-Cun; Jin, Li; Wang, Xiao-Feng; Xiang, Jia-Qing; Wei, QingyiSingle nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the PI3K/PTEN/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway may contribute to carcinogenesis. We genotyped five potentially functional PIK3R1 and mTOR SNPs in 1116 esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) patients and 1117 cancer-free controls to assess their associations with ESCC risk. We observed no association with ESCC risk for any of the selected SNPs. However, the combined analysis of these SNPs revealed that subjects with one-to-three risk genotypes had an increased ESCC risk. Stratified analysis by body mass index (BMI) found that ESCC risk was significantly associated with each of three mTOR SNPs among subjects with BMI < 25.0. Specifically, we found that subjects carrying ≥ 1 risk genotypes had significantly increased ESCC risk, particularly for males, ever-smokers, ever-drinkers, and those with age > 60, or BMI < 25.0. Moreover, three mTOR haplotypes were associated with an increase in ESCC risk. Our meta-analysis of mTOR rs2295080 and cancer risk provided further evidence that mTOR SNPs might modulate cancer susceptibility. In this population, such risk effects might be modified by other risk factors, highlighting the importance of gene-environment interaction in esophageal carcinogenesis. Additional, larger studies are warranted to validate our findings.Item Open Access Associations of potentially functional variants in IL-6, JAKs and STAT3 with gastric cancer risk in an eastern Chinese population.(Oncotarget, 2016-05) Zhou, Fei; Cheng, Lei; Qiu, Li-Xin; Wang, Meng-Yun; Li, Jin; Sun, Meng-Hong; Yang, Ya-Jun; Wang, Jiu-Cun; Jin, Li; Wang, Ya-Nong; Wei, Qing-YiThe interleukin-6 (IL-6)/JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway plays a central role in inflammation-mediated cancers, including gastric cancer (GCa). We evaluated associations between 10 potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of four essential genes in the pathway and GCa risk in a study of 1,125 GCa cases and 1,221 cancer-free controls. We found that a significant higher GCa risk was associated with IL-6 rs2069837G variant genotypes [adjusted odds ratios (OR) = 1.33; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.12-1.59 for AG + GG vs. AA)] and JAK1 rs2230587A variant genotypes (adjusted OR = 1.20; 95% CI = 1.02-1.43 for GA + AA vs. GG). We also found that a significant decreased GCa risk was associated with STAT3 rs1053004G variant genotypes (adjusted OR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.71-0.99 for AG + GG vs. AA). The combined analysis of IL-6 rs2069837G and JAK1 rs2230587A variant risk genotypes revealed that individuals with one-or-two risk genotypes exhibited an increased risk for GCa (adjusted OR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.13-1.59). Genotypes and mRNA expression correlation analysis using the data from the HapMap 3 database provided further support for the observed risk associations. Larger studies are warranted to validate these findings.Item Open Access Genetic variant of PRKAA1 and gastric cancer risk in an eastern Chinese population.(Oncotarget, 2015-12) Qiu, Li-Xin; He, Jing; Cheng, Lei; Zhou, Fei; Wang, Meng-Yun; Sun, Meng-Hong; Zhou, Xiao-Yan; Li, Jin; Guo, Wei-Jian; Wang, Ya-Nong; Yang, Ya-Jun; Wang, Jiu-Cun; Jin, Li; Zhu, Xiao-Dong; Wei, Qing-YiPublished data on the association between PRKAA1 rs13361707 T > C polymorphism and gastric cancer (GCa) susceptibility were inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of the association, we conducted a large-scale GCa study of 1,124 cases and 1,194 controls to confirm this association in an eastern Chinese population. Our results showed that the C allele of PRKAA1 rs13361707 increased the GC risk in the study population [CT vs. TT, odds ratio (OR) = 1.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.40-2.12; CC vs. TT, OR = 2.15, 95%CI = 1.70-2.71; CT/CC vs. TT, OR = 1.86, 95%CI = 1.53-2.26; CC vs.TT/CT, OR = 1.49, 95%CI = 1.24-1.79]. In addition, the association of C allele with an increased GCa risk was still significant in subgroups, when stratified by age, sex, tumor site, drinking and smoking status. Moreover, the findings in the present study were validated by our further meta-analysis. In summary, these results indicated that the C allele of PRKAA1 rs13361707 was a low-penetrate risk factor for GCa.Item Open Access Genetic variant rs4072037 of MUC1 and gastric cancer risk in an Eastern Chinese population.(Oncotarget, 2016-03) Qiu, Li-Xin; Hua, Rui-Xi; Cheng, Lei; He, Jing; Wang, Meng-Yun; Zhou, Fei; Zhu, Xiao-Dong; Sun, Meng-Hong; Zhou, Xiao-Yan; Li, Jin; Wang, Ya-Nong; Yang, Ya-Jun; Wang, Jiu-Cun; Jin, Li; Guo, Wei-Jian; Wei, Qing-YiPublished data on the association between the MUC1 rs4072037A > G polymorphism and gastric cancer (GCa) risk were inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of the association, we conducted a large GCa study of 1,124 cases and 1,192 controls to confirm this association in an Eastern Chinese population. Our results showed that the G allele was strongly associated with a decreased GCa risk in the study population [GG vs. AA, odds ratio (OR) = 0.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.31-0.73; AG/GG vs. AA, OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.68-0.99; GG vs. AA/AG, OR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.32-0.74]. These associations remained significant in subgroups of age, tumor site, drinking and smoking status. Moreover, this association was supported by an additional meta-analysis of published studies. In summary, these results suggest that the MUC1 rs4072037G allele may be a low-penetrating protection factor for GCa risk in Chinese populations.Item Open Access Genetic Variants of the MDM2 Gene Are Predictive of Treatment-Related Toxicities and Overall Survival in Patients With Advanced NSCLC.(Clin Lung Cancer, 2015-09) Qian, Ji; Liu, Hongliang; Gu, Shaohua; Wu, Qihan; Zhao, Xueying; Wu, Wenting; Wang, Haijian; Wang, Jiucun; Chen, Hongyan; Zhang, Wei; Wei, Qingyi; Jin, Li; Lu, DaruINTRODUCTION: Platinum agents can cause the formation of DNA adducts and induce apoptosis to eliminate tumor cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of genetic variants of MDM2 on chemotherapy-related toxicities and clinical outcomes in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recruited 663 patients with advanced NSCLC who had been treated with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Five tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in MDM2 were genotyped in these patients. The associations of these SNPs with clinical toxicities and outcomes were evaluated using logistic regression and Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: Two SNPs (rs1470383 and rs1690924) showed significant associations with chemotherapy-related toxicities (ie, overall, hematologic, and gastrointestinal toxicity). Compared with the wild genotype AA carriers, patients with the GG genotype of rs1470383 had an increased risk of overall toxicity (odds ratio [OR], 3.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.34-8.02; P = .009) and hematologic toxicity (OR, 4.10; 95% CI, 1.73-9.71; P = .001). Likewise, patients with the AG genotype of rs1690924 showed more sensitivity to gastrointestinal toxicity than did those with the wild-type homozygote GG (OR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.30-4.14; P = .004). Stratified survival analysis revealed significant associations between rs1470383 genotypes and overall survival in patients without overall or hematologic toxicity (P = .007 and P = .0009, respectively). CONCLUSION: The results of our study suggest that SNPs in MDM2 might be used to predict the toxicities of platinum-based chemotherapy and overall survival in patients with advanced NSCLC. Additional validations of the association are warranted.Item Open Access Genetic variations of the ADIPOQgene and risk of prostate cancer in Chinese Han men.(Asian journal of andrology, 2014-11) Gu, Cheng-Yuan; Li, Qiao-Xin; Zhu, Yao; Wang, Meng-Yun; Shi, Ting-Yan; Yang, Ya-Yun; Wang, Jiu-Cun; Jin, Li; Wei, Qing-Yi; Ye, Ding-WeiAdiponectin secreted by adipose tissue has been implicated in prostate carcinogenesis. Genetic variations in ADIPOQ are thought to influence the activity of adiponectin, thus relating to cancer occurrence. In this hospital-based case-control study of 917 prostate cancer (PCa) cases and 1036 cancer-free controls, we evaluated the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms in ADIPOQ with risk of PCa and adiponectin levels in Chinese Han men. Variants of ADIPOQ were genotyped by Taqman polymerase chain reaction method. The plasma adiponectin concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in a subset of cases and controls. We found that the ADIPOQ rs3774262 variant AA genotype was associated with both decreased PCa risk [adjusted odds ratio (OR): 0.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) =0.48-0.92] and increased plasma adiponectin levels (P = 0.036 and 0.043), with significant difference by tumor grade, clinical stage, and aggressiveness. A significant interaction between ADIPOQ rs3774262 and body mass index was observed in modifying the risk of PCa (P = 6.7 × 10⁻³). ADIPOQ rs266729 and rs182052 were not related to PCa risk or plasma adiponectin levels. Our data support that ADIPOQ rs3774262 may affect PCa risk in combination with plasma adiponectin levels in Chinese Han men. It may contribute to the molecular basis for the association between obesity and PCa.Item Open Access Is there a dose-dependent effect of genetic susceptibility loci for gastric cancer on prognosis of the patients?(Oncotarget, 2017-03) Cheng, Lei; Qiu, Li-Xin; Jia, Ming; Zhou, Fei; Wang, Meng-Yun; Zhang, Ruo-Xin; Yang, Yajun; Wang, Xiaofeng; Wang, Jiucun; Jin, Li; Wei, Qing-YiLiterature suggests that genetic variants associated with increased susceptibility to gastric cancer (GCa) are mostly located in genes involved in carcinogenesis and possibly tumor progression. Therefore, we hypothesize that high genetic susceptibility is also associated with prognosis of the patients. To test this hypothesis, we selected a total of 42 common genetic variants that were reportedly associated with GCa risk with a high level of evidence obtained from either genome-wide association studies (GWASs) or meta-analyses and performed survival analysis of patients used in a case-control analysis. We first used 1115 GCa cases and 1172 cancer-free controls of ethnic Han Chinese to construct a weighted genetic risk score (GRS). Then, we included 633 GCa cases with available clinical information, fit GRS in a fractional polynomial Cox proportional hazards regression model to investigate whether there is a dose-dependent effect of GRS on risk of death in survival analysis. Dynamic predictive value of genetic risk for prognosis was also calculated. The results showed that the increase of GRS had no effect on risk of death in these GCa patients. Compared with GCa patients with the medium GRS, there was no significant difference in survival in patients with either a low (P = 0.349) or a high (P = 0.847) GRS. The results unchanged when data were stratified by tumor stage and Lauren's classification. Time-dependent predictive value for prognosis in considering both clinical factors and GRS was comparable with that in considering clinical factors alone, for either all patients (P = 0.986) or stage- and Laruen type-based subgroups (P > 0.05 for all). In conclusion, higher polygenic susceptibility loci for GCa may not indicate worse prognosis of Chinese patients. Additional variants of relevant genes modulating GCa patients' survival need to be further identified.Item Open Access MDM4 genetic variants and risk of gastric cancer in an Eastern Chinese population.(Oncotarget, 2017-03) Wang, Meng-Yun; Jia, Ming; He, Jing; Zhou, Fei; Qiu, Li-Xin; Sun, Meng-Hong; Yang, Ya-Jun; Wang, Jiu-Cun; Jin, Li; Wang, Ya-Nong; Wei, Qing-YiMDM4 is a p53-interacting protein and plays an important role in carcinogenesis. In this study of 1,077 gastric cancer (GCa) cases and 1,173 matched cancer-free controls, we investigated associations between three tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs11801299 G>A, rs1380576 C>G and rs10900598 G>T) in MDM4 and gastric cancer risk in an Eastern Chinese Population. In logistic regression analysis, a significantly decreased GCa risk was associated with the rs1380576 GG variant genotype (adjusted odds ratio [OR] =0.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] =0.56-0.98) under a recessive model, which remained significant after correction by the false-positive reporting probability. This risk was more evident in subgroups of older subjects, males, never smokers, never drinkers and cancers of non-cardia. We then performed SNP-mRNA expression correlation analysis and found that the GG variant genotype was associated with significantly decreased expression of MDM4 mRNA in normal cell lines for 44 Chinese (P=0.032 for GG vs. CC) as well as for 269 multi-ethnic subjects (P<0.0001 for GG vs. CC). Our results suggest that the MDM4 rs1380576 G variant may be markers for GCa susceptibility. Larger, independent studies are warranted to validate our findings.Item Open Access Polymorphisms in ERCC1 and XPF genes and risk of gastric cancer in an eastern Chinese population.(PloS one, 2012-01) He, Jing; Xu, Yu; Qiu, Li-Xin; Li, Jin; Zhou, Xiao-Yan; Sun, Meng-Hong; Wang, Jiu-Cun; Yang, Ya-Jun; Jin, Li; Wei, Qing-Yi; Wang, YanongBACKGROUND: Inherited functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in DNA repair genes may alter DNA repair capacity and thus contribute to cancer risk. METHODS: Three ERCC1 functional SNPs (rs2298881C>A, rs3212986C>A and rs11615G>A) and two XPF/ERCC4 functional SNPs (rs2276466C>G and rs6498486A>C) were genotyped for 1125 gastric adenocarcinoma cases and 1196 cancer-free controls by Taqman assays. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate risk associations, and false-positive report probabilities (FPRP) were calculated for assessing significant findings. RESULTS: ERCC1 rs2298881C and rs11615A variant genotypes were associated with increased gastric cancer risk (adjusted OR=1.33, 95% CI=1.05-1.67 for rs2298881 AC/CC and adjusted OR=1.23, 95% CI=1.05-1.46 for rs11615 AG/AA, compared with their common genotype AA and GG, respectively). Patients with 2-3 ERCC1 risk genotypes had significant increased risk (adjusted OR=1.56, 95% CI=1.27-1.93), compared with those with 0-1 ERCC1 risk genotypes, and this risk was more significantly in subgroups of never drinkers, non-gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (NGCA) and clinical stage I+II. All these risks were not observed for XPF SNPs. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that functional ERCC1 SNPs may contribute to risk of gastric cancer. Larger and well-designed studies with different ethnic populations are needed to validate our findings.Item Open Access Polymorphisms in nucleotide excision repair genes and risk of primary prostate cancer in Chinese Han populations.(Oncotarget, 2017-04) Wang, Mengyun; Li, Qiaoxin; Gu, Chengyuan; Zhu, Yao; Yang, Yajun; Wang, Jiucun; Jin, Li; He, Jing; Ye, Dingwei; Wei, QingyiGenetic variants of nucleotide excision repair (NER) genes have been extensively investigated for their roles in the development of prostate cancer (PCa); however, the published results have been inconsistent. In a hospital-based case-control study of 1,004 PCa cases and 1,055 cancer-free controls, we genotyped eight potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of NER genes (i.e., XPC, rs2228001 T>G and rs1870134 G>C; XPD, rs13181 T>G and rs238406 G>T; XPG, rs1047768 T>C, rs751402 C>T, and rs17655 G>C; and XPF, rs2276464 G>C) and assessed their associations with risk of PCa by using logistic regression analysis. Among these eight SNPs investigated, only XPC rs1870134 CG/CC variant genotypes were associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer under a dominant genetic model (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.64-1.91, P = 0.003). Phenotype-genotype analysis also suggested that the XPC rs1870134 CG/CC variant genotypes were associated with significantly decreased expression levels of XPC mRNA in a mix population of different ethnicities. These findings suggested that XPC SNPs may contribute to risk of PCa in Eastern Chinese men.Item Open Access Polymorphisms in the AKT1 and AKT2 genes and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma risk in an Eastern Chinese population.(Journal of cellular and molecular medicine, 2016-04) Zhu, Jinhong; Wang, Mengyun; He, Jing; Zhu, Meiling; Wang, Jiu-Cun; Jin, Li; Wang, Xiao-Feng; Yang, Ya-Jun; Xiang, Jia-Qing; Wei, QingyiEthnic Han Chinese are at high risk of developing oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Aberrant activation of the AKT signalling pathway is involved in many cancers, including ESCC. Some single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes involved in this pathway may contribute to ESCC susceptibility. We selected five potentially functional SNPs in AKT1 (rs2494750, rs2494752 and rs10138277) and AKT2 (rs7254617 and rs2304186) genes and investigated their associations with ESCC risk in 1117 ESCC cases and 1096 controls in an Eastern Chinese population. None of individual SNPs exhibited an association with ESCC risk. However, the combined analysis of three AKT1 SNPs suggested that individuals carrying one of AKT1 variant genotypes had a decreased ESCC risk [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.42-0.87]. Further stratified analysis found that AKT1 rs2294750 SNP was associated with significantly decreased ESCC risk among women (adjusted OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.43-0.94) and non-drinkers (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.64-0.99). Similar protective effects on women (adjusted OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.37-0.83) and non-drinker (adjusted OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.60-0.94) were also observed for the combined genotypes of AKT1 SNPs. Consistently, logistic regression analysis indicated significant gene-gene interactions among three AKT1 SNPs (P < 0.015). A three-AKT1 SNP haplotype (C-A-C) showed a significant association with a decreased ESCC risk (adjusted OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.52-0.94). Multifactor dimensionality reduction analysis confirmed a high-order gene-environment interaction in ESCC risk. Overall, we found that three AKT1 SNPs might confer protection against ESCC risk; nevertheless, these effects may be dependent on other risk factors. Our results provided evidence of important gene-environment interplay in ESCC carcinogenesis.Item Open Access Polymorphisms in the ERCC5 gene and risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in Eastern Chinese populations.(PloS one, 2012-01) Zhu, Mei-Ling; Shi, Ting-Yan; Hu, Hai-Chuan; He, Jing; Wang, Mengyun; Jin, Li; Yang, Ya-Jun; Wang, Jiu-Cun; Sun, Meng-Hong; Chen, Huan; Zhao, Kuai-Le; Zhang, Zhen; Chen, Hai-Quan; Xiang, Jia-Qing; Wei, Qing-YiBACKGROUND: Excision repair cross complementing group 5 (ERCC5 or XPG) plays an important role in regulating DNA excision repair; its functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may alter DNA repair capacity and thus contribute to cancer risk. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In a hospital-based case-control study of 1115 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cases and 1117 cancer-free controls, we genotyped three potentially functional SNPs of ERCC5 (SNPs, rs2296147T>C, rs2094258C>T and rs873601G>A) and estimated crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for their associations with risk of ESCC using unconditional logistic regression models. We also calculated false-positive report probabilities (FPRPs) for significant findings. We found that compared with the TT genotype, ERCC5 rs2296147 C variant genotypes were associated with a significantly lower ESCC risk (CT: adjusted OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.63-0.93, CT/CC: adjusted OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.67-0.96); however, this risk was not observed for the other two SNPs (rs2094258C>T and rs873601 G>A), nor in further stratification and haplotype analysis. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCES: These findings suggested that ERCC5 polymorphisms may contribute to risk of ESCC in Eastern Chinese populations, but the effect was weak and needs further validation by larger population-based case-control studies.Item Open Access Polymorphisms in the mTOR gene and risk of sporadic prostate cancer in an Eastern Chinese population.(PloS one, 2013-01) Li, Qiaoxin; Gu, Chengyuan; Zhu, Yao; Wang, Mengyun; Yang, Yajun; Wang, Jiucun; Jin, Li; Zhu, Mei-Ling; Shi, Ting-Yan; He, Jing; Zhou, Xiaoyan; Ye, Ding-wei; Wei, QingyiBACKGROUND: The mTOR gene regulates cell growth by controlling mRNA translation, ribosome biogenesis, autophagy, and metabolism. Abnormally increased expression of mTOR was associated with carcinogenesis, and its functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may regulate the expression of mTOR and thus contribute to cancer risk. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In a hospital-based case-control study of 1004 prostate cancer (PCa) cases and 1051 cancer-free controls, we genotyped six potentially functional SNPs of mTOR (rs2536 T>C, rs1883965 G>A, rs1034528 G>C, rs17036508 T>C, rs3806317 A>G, and rs2295080 T>G) and assessed their associations with risk of PCa by using logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCES: In the single-locus analysis, we found a significantly increased risk of PCa associated with mTOR rs2536 CT/CC and rs1034528 CG/CC genotypes [adjusted OR = 1.42 (1.13-1.78), P = 0.003 and 1.29 (1.07-1.55), P = 0.007), respectively], compared with their common homozygous genotypes, whereas mTOR rs2295080 GT/GG genotypes were associated with a decreased risk of PCa [adjusted OR = 0.76 (0.64-0.92), P = 0.003], compared with wild-type TT genotypes. In the combined analysis of the six SNPs, we found that individuals carrying two or more adverse genotypes had an increased risk of PCa [adjusted OR = 1.24 (1.04-1.47), P = 0.016], compared with individuals carrying less than two adverse genotypes. In the multiple dimension reduction analysis, body mass index (BMI) was the best one-factor model with the highest CVC (100%) and the lowest prediction error (42.7%) among all seven factors. The model including an interaction among BMI, rs17036508, and rs2536 was the best three-factor model with the highest CVC (100%) and the lowest prediction error of 41.9%. These findings suggested that mTOR SNPs may contribute to the risk of PCa in Eastern Chinese men, but the effect was weak and needs further validation by larger population-based studies.Item Open Access Potentially functional polymorphisms in the CASP7 gene contribute to gastric adenocarcinoma susceptibility in an eastern Chinese population.(PloS one, 2013-01) Wang, Meng-Yun; Zhu, Mei-Ling; He, Jing; Shi, Ting-Yan; Li, Qiao-Xin; Wang, Ya-Nong; Li, Jin; Zhou, Xiao-Yan; Sun, Meng-Hong; Wang, Xiao-Feng; Yang, Ya-Jun; Wang, Jiu-Cun; Jin, Li; Wei, Qing-YiBACKGROUND: Caspase 7 (CASP7) is an important regulator and executioner in the apoptosis pathway and plays a crucial role in cancer development and progression. However, few studies have evaluated associations between functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 3' untranslational region (UTR) of CASP7 and risk of gastric cancer. METHODS: In a case-control study of 1117 patients with gastric cancer and 1146 cancer-free controls with frequency matching on age and sex, we genotyped four potentially functional SNPs (rs4353229T>C, rs10787498T>G, rs1127687G>A and rs12247479G>A) located in the microRNA binding sites of the CASP7 3' UTR by using Taqman assays and evaluated their associations with risk of gastric cancer by using logistic regression analyses as well as multifactorial dimension reduction (MDR) analysis. RESULTS: In the single-locus analysis, only the CASP7 rs4353229 TT genotype was associated with 0.83-fold decreased risk (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.70-0.98) of gastric cancer under a recessive model, compared with the CT/CC genotypes. In the combined analysis of all four SNPs, we found that the risk of gastric cancer decreased by 19% in those carrying any of the risk genotypes (adjusted odds ratio = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.68-0.96), compared with those carrying zero risk genotypes, and this risk was more evident in subgroups of younger age (<59 years), females, non-smokers, non-drinkers and patients with non-gastric cardia adenocarcinoma. Further MDR analysis suggested some evidence of interactions between the combined genotypes and other risk factors for gastric cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Potentially functional CASP7 variants may contribute to risk of gastric cancer. Larger studies with different ethnic populations are warranted to validate our findings.Item Open Access Potentially functional polymorphisms in the ERCC2 gene and risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Chinese populations.(Scientific reports, 2014-01) Zhu, Mei-Ling; He, Jing; Wang, MengYun; Sun, Meng-Hong; Jin, Li; Wang, Xiaofeng; Yang, Ya-Jun; Wang, Jiu-Cun; Zheng, Leizhen; Xiang, Jia-Qing; Wei, Qing-YiERCC2 is indispensable for nucleotide excision repair pathway, and its functional polymorphisms may be associated with cancer risk. In a large case-control study of 1126 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) patients and 1131 controls, we genotyped two SNPs in ERCC2 (rs238406 G > T and rs13181 T > G) and assessed their associations with ESCC risk. We found a significantly elevated ESCC risk associated with the rs238406 T variant genotypes (adjusted OR = 1.30 and 1.24, 95% CI = 1.02-1.66 and 1.03-1.49 for TG and TG/TT, respectively, compared with GG), particularly in the subgroup of those smoked more than 16 pack-years. Multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested a possible multiplicative gene-environment interaction between rs238406 genotypes and smoking (Pinteraction = 0.026) on ESCC risk. Although no significant risk associations were observed for rs13181, further mini meta-analysis with our and 18 other published studies of 5,012 cases and 8,238 controls found evidence of an association between the rs13181 variant G allele and esophageal cancer risk (TG/GG vs. TT, OR = 1.17; 95% CI = 1.02-1.33). Interestingly, we consistently found a significant correlation between variant genotypes of these two SNPs and ERCC2 mRNA expression. These findings suggest that potentially functional SNPs in ERCC2 may contribute to ESCC risk.Item Open Access Potentially functional variants of PLCE1 identified by GWASs contribute to gastric adenocarcinoma susceptibility in an eastern Chinese population.(PloS one, 2012-01) Wang, Mengyun; Zhang, Ruoxin; He, Jing; Qiu, Lixin; Li, Jin; Wang, Yanong; Sun, Menghong; Yang, Yajun; Wang, Jiucun; Yang, Jingmin; Qian, Ji; Jin, Li; Ma, Hongxia; Wei, Qingyi; Zhou, XiaoyanBACKGROUND: Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have found a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP, rs2274223 A>G) in PLCE1 to be associated with risk of gastric adenocarcinoma. In the present study, we validated this finding and also explored the risk associated with another unreported potentially functional SNP (rs11187870 G>C) of PLCE1 in a hospital-based case-control study of 1059 patients with pathologically confirmed gastric adenocarcinoma and 1240 frequency-matched healthy controls. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We determined genotypes of these two SNPs by the Taqman assay and used logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). We found that a significant higher gastric adenocarcinoma risk was associated with rs2274223 variant G allele (adjusted OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.14-1.60 for AG+GG vs. AA) and rs11187870 variant C allele (adjusted OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.05-1.50 for CG+CC vs. GG). We also found that the number of combined risk alleles (i.e., rs2274223G and rs11187870C) was associated with risk of gastric adenocarcinoma in an allele-dose effect manner (P(trend) = 0.0002). Stratification analysis indicated that the combined effect of rs2274223G and rs11187870C variant alleles was more evident in subgroups of males, non-smokers, non-drinkers and patients with gastric cardia adenocarcinoma. Further real-time PCR results showed that expression levels of PLCE1 mRNA were significantly lower in tumors than in adjacent noncancerous tissues (0.019±0.002 vs. 0.008±0.001, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCES: Our results further confirmed that genetic variations in PLCE1 may contribute to gastric adenocarcinoma risk in an eastern Chinese population.Item Open Access Pri-miR-124 rs531564 and pri-miR-34b/c rs4938723 polymorphisms are associated with decreased risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Chinese populations.(PloS one, 2014-01) Zhang, Junjie; Huang, Xuewen; Xiao, Juanjuan; Yang, Yajun; Zhou, Yinghui; Wang, Xiaofeng; Liu, Qingmei; Yang, Jingmin; Wang, Mengyun; Qiu, Lixin; Zheng, Yabiao; Zhang, Ping; Li, Jin; Wang, Ya'nong; Wei, Qingyi; Jin, Li; Wang, Jiucun; Wang, MinghuaMicroRNAs are a new class of small non-protein-coding RNAs that sometimes function as tumor suppressors or oncogenes. Aberrant expression and structural alteration of microRNAs have been reported to be involved in tumorigenesis and cancer development. Recently, rs531564/pri-miR-124-1, rs4938723/pri-miR-34b/c, rs7372209/pri-miR-26a-1, rs895819/pre-miR-27a, and rs11134527/pri-miR-218 were reported to be associated with risks of various cancers. In order to evaluate the relationship of these SNPs and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) risk, we conducted a case-control study with 1109 ESCC patients and 1275 control subjects to examine the potential association of these pri/pre-miRNA polymorphisms with ESCC susceptibility. As a result, two SNPs were associated with a significant risk of ESCC. We found that the GG genotype of pri-miR-124-1 rs531564 was associated to a significantly decreased risk of ESCC comparing with the CC/CG genotypes (p = 0.005; OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.43-0.86). In addition, the CC genotype of pri-miR-34b/c rs4938723 was associated with a significant decreased risk of ESCC (CC VS.p = 0.007, OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.71-0.95) in Chinese population. The present study provides the first evidence that pri-miR-124-1 rs531564 and pri-miR-34 rs4938723 were associated with the risk of ESCC in Chinese population.Item Open Access PSCA polymorphisms and gastric cancer susceptibility in an eastern Chinese population.(Oncotarget, 2016-02) Qiu, Li-Xin; Cheng, Lei; He, Jing; Zhou, Zhi-Rui; Wang, Meng-Yun; Zhou, Fei; Guo, Wei-Jian; Li, Jin; Sun, Meng-Hong; Zhou, Xiao-Yan; Wang, Ya-Nong; Yang, Ya-Jun; Wang, Jiu-Cun; Jin, Li; Zhu, Xiao-Dong; Wei, Qing-YiThe prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) gene, which encodes a prostate-specific antigen (PSA), was identified as a gene involved in cell adhesion and proliferation. The associations between the PSCA rs2294008 and rs2976392 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and gastric cancer (GCa) susceptibility were still controversial. To derive a more precise estimation of the associations, we conducted a case-control study of 1,124 cases and 1,192 controls in an eastern Chinese population. We found that the rs2294008T variant genotypes were associated with an increased GCa risk in this study population (CT vs CC, OR=1.59, 95% CI=1.33-1.89 and CT+TT vs CC, OR=1.38, 95% CI=1.17-1.62). For SNP rs2976392, the variant A genotypes were also associated with an increased GCa risk (AG vs GG, OR=1.61, 95% CI=1.35-1.91 and AG+AA vs GG, OR=1.47, 95% CI=1.25-1.74). The results were further validated by a meta-analysis. In conclusion, the results indicated that the PSCA rs2294008 T and rs2976392 A alleles were low-penetrate risk factors for GCa in this study population. However, large and well-designed studies are warranted to validate our findings.