title: Prevalence of the I1307K APC gene variant in Israeli Jews of differing ethnic origin and risk for colorectal cancer.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Israel.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rozen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shomrat
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Strul
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Naiman
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Karminsky
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Legum
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Orr-Urtreger
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D025601:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D004247:DNA