Gene polymorphisms of the NOD-2/CARD-15 gene and the risk of gastric cancer in Germany.
BACKGROUND
NOD-2 is involved in the intracellular recognition of bacterial muramyl dipeptides, and three independent polymorphisms of this gene have been identified as risk factors for the development of Crohn's disease.


METHODS
To study the role of NOD-2 in gastric carcinogenesis, NOD-2 mutations (SNP5: P268S, SNP8: R702W, SNP12: G908R, and SNP13: 3020insC) were genotyped in 171 patients with gastric cancer and 153 controls.


RESULTS
Applying a numerical model, SNP5 was found to carry a slightly increased risk (OR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.05-2.17, p = 0.027) for the development of gastric cancer, whereas SNP8 was similarly distributed between controls and patients with gastric cancer. SNP5 and 8 were found to be genetically linked in both groups (p < 0.02). The allele frequency of SNP12 and 13 were rare and therefore analyzed in subgroups only and not statistically analyzed due to the lack of statistical power.


CONCLUSIONS
NOD-2 is not a risk factor for gastric carcinogenesis in the Caucasian population.
Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, Otto-von-Guericke University, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany. thomas.wex@med.ovg.de
Thomas
T
Wex
Matthias P A
MP
Ebert
Siegfried
S
Kropf
Jutta
J
Dierkes
Katrin
K
Schüttler
Christoph
C
Röcken
Michael
M
Höcker
Peter
P
Malfertheiner
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D053473:Nod2 Signaling Adaptor Protein / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012306:Risk; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*
C429018:NOD2 protein, human; D053473:Nod2 Signaling Adaptor Protein