title: Analyses of EGF A61G Gene Variation and Serum EGF Level on Gastric Cancer Susceptibility and Clinicopathological Parameters.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epidermal growth factor (EGF) induces various biological signaling pathways, including proliferation and differentiation and it is the natural ligand of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) which is a member of tyrosine kinase transmembrane receptor family. EGF and EGFR control important processes in carcinogenesis and several differences in this signaling pathway are very common in certain types of cancers. In present study, we examined EGF A61G gene polymorphism as a marker of risk and progression in gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 84 patients with gastric cancer and 146 control individuals were enrolled in the current study. EGF A61G gene variation was genotyped by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The distribution of EGF A61G genotypes were different between patients with gastric cancer and controls (p=0.039). Serum EGF levels in gastric cancer cases were significantly lower than those in controls (p=0.012). There were no correlations between the serum EGF levels according to EGF A61G genotype and allelic distributions in patients with gastric cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggested that EGF A61G gene variations and EGF serum levels might be associated with the risk of gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Canan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cacina
authors.affiliation: Istanbul Research and Teaching and Research Hospital, Surgery Clinic, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Soykan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arikan
authors.affiliation: Istanbul Research and Teaching and Research Hospital, Surgery Clinic, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yigit
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Düzköylü
authors.affiliation: Istanbul Research and Teaching and Research Hospital, Surgery Clinic, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Baki
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Doğan
authors.affiliation: Kocaeli University, School of Medicine, Department of General Surgery, Kocaeli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erdem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Okay
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Saime
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Turan
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey ilhanyaylim@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ilhan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yaylim
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Yeditepe University Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Turgay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Isbir
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor
keywords: Gastric cancer; cancer risk; epidermal growth factor; progression; serum level