Lack of association between the incidence of testicular germ cell tumors and Y-chromosome haplogroups in the Japanese population.
BACKGROUND
Despite being relatively uncommon, testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) are the most common malignant disease in young men. Epidemiological studies concerning patients with testicular cancer indicate that the most of them have poor semen quality or testicular dysgenesis. However, many studies have shown that the Y chromosome harbors many candidate genes responsible for spermatogenesis process and development and maintenance of the germ cells. The Y chromosome is thought to have a relationship with the formation and progression of TGCT.


METHODS
To verify this relationship, we investigated if there is any correlation between the Y chromosome structural variations presented as different haplogroups and the occurrence of TGCT in the Japanese population. Using combined haplogroups based on typing of three Y chromosome polymorphic binary markers, we analyzed 68 TGCT derived from Japanese patients together with randomly selected 104 unrelated healthy Japanese matched male controls who were confirmed as residents of the same geographic area.


RESULTS
Our findings showed a lack of association between the incidence of TGCT and the different Y- chromosome haplogroups in Japanese population.


CONCLUSIONS
We concluded that there are no significant variations in males from different Y chromosome lineages regarding their susceptibility or resistance for developing TGCT. The previously hypothesized role of the Y chromosome in the development of TGCT is still uncertain and needs further verification.
Ewis
Ashraf A
AA
Health Technology Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Takamatsu, Japan. ashraf-ewis@aist.go.jp
Lee
Juwon
J
Naroda
Takushi
T
Kagawa
Susumu
S
Baba
Yoshinobu
Y
Nakahori
Yutaka
Y
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D018239:Seminoma / Q000235:genetics*; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*