Prevalence of the I1307K APC gene variant in Israeli Jews of differing ethnic origin and risk for colorectal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Israeli Jews of European birth, i.e., Ashkenazim, have the highest colorectal cancer incidence of any Israeli ethnic group. The I1307K APC gene variant was found in 6.1% of American Jews, 28% of their familial colorectal cancer cases, but not in non-Jews. We assessed the I1307K prevalence in Israeli Jews of differing ethnic origin and risk for colorectal cancer.


METHODS
DNA samples from 500 unrelated Jews of European or non-European origin, with or without a personal and/or family history of neoplasia, were examined for the I1307K variant by the allele-specific oligonucleotide (ASO) method.


RESULTS
In persons at average risk for colorectal cancer, I1307K was found in 5.0% of 120 European and 1.6% of 188 non-European Jews (P = 0.08). It occurred in 15.4% of 52 Ashkenazi Israelis with familial cancer (P = 0.02) and was not detected in 51 non-European Jews at increased cancer risk. Colorectal neoplasia occurred personally or in the families of 13 of 20 Ashkenazi I1307K carriers, 8 of whom also had a personal or family history of noncolonic neoplasia.


CONCLUSIONS
The I1307K APC variant may represent a susceptibility gene for colorectal, or other, cancers in Ashkenazi Jews, and partially explains the higher incidence of colorectal cancer in European Israelis.
Rozen
P
P
Department of Gastroenterology, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Israel.
Shomrat
R
R
Strul
H
H
Naiman
T
T
Karminsky
N
N
Legum
C
C
Orr-Urtreger
A
A
D025601:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D017491:Genes, APC; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D007585:Jews; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D012307:Risk Factors
D025601:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D004247:DNA