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Meta-Analysis
. 2013 May 22;8(5):e64122.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064122. Print 2013.

Genetic variation in 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase and colon cancer susceptibility

Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Genetic variation in 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase and colon cancer susceptibility

Cheryl L Thompson et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: 15-Hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) is a metabolic antagonist of COX-2, catalyzing the degradation of inflammation mediator prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and other prostanoids. Recent studies have established the 15-PGDH gene as a colon cancer suppressor.

Methods: We evaluated 15-PDGH as a colon cancer susceptibility locus in a three-stage design. We first genotyped 102 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 15-PGDH gene, spanning ∼50 kb up and down-stream of the coding region, in 464 colon cancer cases and 393 population controls. We then genotyped the same SNPs, and also assayed the expression levels of 15-PGDH in colon tissues from 69 independent patients for whom colon tissue and paired germline DNA samples were available. In the final stage 3, we genotyped the 9 most promising SNPs from stages 1 and 2 in an independent sample of 525 cases and 816 controls (stage 3).

Results: In the first two stages, three SNPs (rs1365611, rs6844282 and rs2332897) were statistically significant (p<0.05) in combined analysis of association with risk of colon cancer and of association with 15-PGDH expression, after adjustment for multiple testing. For one additional SNP, rs2555639, the T allele showed increased cancer risk and decreased 15-PGDH expression, but just missed statistical significance (p-adjusted = 0.063). In stage 3, rs2555639 alone showed evidence of association with an odds ratio (TT compared to CC) of 1.50 (95% CI = 1.05-2.15, p = 0.026).

Conclusions: Our data suggest that the rs2555639 T allele is associated with increased risk of colon cancer, and that carriers of this risk allele exhibit decreased expression of 15-PGDH in the colon.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Schematic of HPGD gene, which encodes 15-PGDH, showing location of rs2555639.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Linkage Disequilibrium (LD) Plot of Genotyped SNPs.
LD plot of all SNPs selected for replication in all Caucasian samples. Values within boxes are correlations (R2).

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