Genetic variation in a4GnT in relation to Helicobacter pylori serology and gastric cancer risk.
BACKGROUND
Helicobacter pylori, a known risk factor of gastric cancer, rarely colonize the deeper portion of normal gastric glands, where the mucus is rich in alpha-1,4-linked N-acetylglucosamine capped O-glycans, that strongly inhibit H. pylori growth in vitro.


METHODS
We investigated the association between genetic variation in the O-glycan transferase encoding gene (a4GnT) and H. pylori infection and gastric cancer risk using a Polish population-based case-control study (273 gastric cancer patients and 377 controls).


RESULTS
A haplotype at the rs2622694-rs397266 locus was associated with H. pylori infection, with the A-A haplotype associated with a higher risk compared with the most frequent G-G haplotype (odds ratio 2.30; 95% confidence interval 1.35-3.92). The association remained significant after correction for multiple tests (global p value: nominal 0.002, empirical 0.045). Neither this haplotype nor the tagSNPs were associated with overall gastric cancer risk.


CONCLUSIONS
a4GnT genetic variation may be relevant to H. pylori infection, but not to gastric cancer risk.
Zheng
Zongli
Z
Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Jia
Yanbin
Y
Hou
Lifang
L
Persson
Christina
C
Yeager
Meredith
M
Lissowska
Jolanta
J
Chanock
Stephen J
SJ
Blaser
Martin
M
Chow
Wong-Ho
WH
Ye
Weimin
W
D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017351:N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D011044:Poland; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D017351:N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases; C038111:alpha-1,3-mannosylglycoprotein beta-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase