Association of CHRNA5-A3-B4 variation with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma risk and smoking behaviors in a Chinese population.

ABSTRACT:

Background

CHRNA5-A3-B4, the gene cluster encoding nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits, is associated with lung cancer risk and smoking behaviors in people of European descent. Because cigarette smoking is also a major risk factor for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), we investigated the associations between variants in CHRNA5-A3-B4 and ESCC risk, as well as smoking behaviors, in a Chinese population.

Methods

A case-control study of 866 ESCC patients and 952 healthy controls was performed to study the association of polymorphisms (rs667282 and rs3743073) in CHRNA5-A3-B4 with cancer risk using logistic regression models. The relationships between CHRNA5-A3-B4 polymorphisms and smoking behaviors that can be quantified by cigarettes smoked per day (CPD) and pack-years of smoking were separately estimated with Kruskal-Wallis tests among all 840 smokers.

Results

CHRNA5-A3-B4 rs667282 TT/TG genotypes were associated with significantly increased risk of ESCC [adjusted odds ratio (OR)?=?1.32, 95% confidence interval (CI)?=?1.03 - 1.69, P?=?0.029]. The increased ESCC risk was even higher among younger subjects (?60 years) (OR?=?1.44, 95% CI?=?1.04 - 1.98, P?=?0.024). These effects were not found in another polymorphism rs3743073. No evident association between the two polymorphisms and smoking behaviors was observed.

Conclusions

These results support the hypothesis that CHRNA5-A3-B4 is a susceptibility gene cluster for ESCC. The relationship between CHRNA5-A3-B4 and smoking behaviors in a Chinese population needs further investigation.

SUBMITTER: Wang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3699625 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature