The 4q27 locus and prostate cancer risk.
BACKGROUND
Chronic inflammation is considered to be implicated in the development of prostate cancer. In this study we are the first to investigate a potential association between variants in an autoimmune related region on chromosome 4q27 and prostate cancer risk. This region harbors two cytokine genes IL-2 and the recently described IL-21.


METHODS
We genotyped six variants previously associated with autoimmune disease (namely rs13151961, rs13119723, rs17388568, rs3136534, rs6822844 and rs6840978) and one functional IL-2 promoter variant (rs2069762) for possible association with prostate cancer risk using the Australian Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer case-control Study.


RESULTS
Overall, our results do not support an association between the seven variants at position 4q27 and prostate cancer risk. Per allele odds ratios (ORs) were not significantly different from 1 (all P-values = 0.06). However, we found suggestive evidence for a significant association between the presence of the rs13119723 variant (located in a protein of unknown function) and men with a family history of prostate cancer in first-degree relatives (P-value for interaction 0.02). The per allele OR associated with this variant was significantly higher than 1 (2.37; 95% C.I. = 1.01-5.57).


CONCLUSIONS
We suggest that genetic variation within the chromosome 4q27 locus might be associated with prostate cancer susceptibility in men with a family history of the disease. Furthermore, our study alludes to a potential role of unknown protein KIAA1109 in conferring this risk.
Tindall
Elizabeth A
EA
Cancer Genetics Group, Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Sydney Children's Hospital, High St, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
Hoang
Hoa N
HN
Southey
Melissa C
MC
English
Dallas R
DR
Hopper
John L
JL
Giles
Graham G
GG
Severi
Gianluca
G
Hayes
Vanessa M
VM
D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002894:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 4; D005192:Family Health; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics; D007378:Interleukins / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D012306:Risk; D000098546:Interleukin-21
D007376:Interleukin-2; D007378:Interleukins; D000098546:Interleukin-21