Association between genetic polymorphisms involved in the hypoxia-inducible factor pathway and lung cancer risk: a case-control study in Japan

Association between altered tryptophan metabolism, plasma aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonists, and inflammatory Chagas disease

Introduction

Chagas disease causes a cardiac illness characterized by immunoinflammatory reactions leading to myocardial fibrosis and remodeling. The development of Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy (CCC) in some patients while others remain asymptomatic is not fully understood, but dysregulated inflammatory responses are implicated. The Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) plays a crucial role in regulating inflammation. Certain tryptophan (Trp) metabolites have been identified as AhR ligands with regulatory functions.

Methods results and discussion

We investigated AhR expression, agonist response, ligand production, and AhR-dependent responses, such as IDO activation and regulatory T (Treg) cells induction, in two T. cruzi-infected mouse strains (B6 and Balb/c) showing different polymorphisms in AhR. Furthermore, we assessed the metabolic profile of Trp catabolites and AhR agonistic activity levels in plasma samples from patients with chronic Chagas disease (CCD) and healthy donors (HD) using a luciferase reporter assay and liquid chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (LC-MS) analysis. T. cruzi-infected B6 mice showed impaired AhR-dependent responses compared to Balb/c mice, including reduced IDO activity, kynurenine levels, Treg cell induction, CYP1A1 up-regulation, and AhR expression following agonist activation. Additionally, B6 mice exhibited no detectable AhR agonist activity in plasma and displayed lower CYP1A1 up-regulation and AhR expression upon agonist activation. Similarly, CCC patients had decreased AhR agonistic activity in plasma compared to HD patients and exhibited dysregulation in Trp metabolic pathways, resulting in altered plasma metabolite profiles. Notably, patients with severe CCC specifically showed increased N-acetylserotonin levels in their plasma. The methods and findings presented here contribute to a better understanding of CCC development mechanisms and may identify potential specific biomarkers for T. cruzi infection and the severity of associated heart disease. These insights could be valuable in designing new therapeutic strategies. Ultimately, this research aims to establish the AhR agonistic activity and Trp metabolic profile in plasma as an innovative, non-invasive predictor of prognosis for chronic Chagas disease.

Analysis of HIF-1α expression and genetic polymorphisms in human clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Introduction: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is mostly diagnosed incidentally and has relatively high recurrence rates. Alterations in VHL/HIF and mTOR pathways are commonly present in ccRCC. The present study attempted to identify potential diagnostic markers at the biochemical and molecular level. Methods: In total, 54 subjects (36 patients with ccRCC and 18 cancer-free controls) were enrolled. ELISA was used to measure the levels of HIF-1α in the tumor and healthy kidney tissue. The association between five selected SNPs (rs779805, rs11549465, rs2057482, rs2295080 and rs701848) located in genes of pathologically relevant pathways (VHL/HIF and mTOR) and the risk of ccRCC in the Slovak cohort was studied using real-time PCR. Results: Significant differences in HIF-1α tissue levels were observed between the tumor and healthy kidney tissue (p < 0.001). In the majority (69%) of cases, the levels of HIF-1α were higher in the kidney than in the tumor. Furthermore, the concentration of HIF-1α in the tumor showed a significant positive correlation with CCL3 and IL-1β (p (R2) 0.007 (0.47); p (R2) 0.011 (0.38). No relationship between intratumoral levels of HIF-1α and clinical tumor characteristics was observed. Rs11549465, rs2057482 in the HIF1A gene did not correlate with the expression of HIF-1α either in the tumor or in the normal kidney. None of the selected SNPs has influenced the susceptibility to ccRCC. Conclusion: More research is neccesary to elucidate the role of HIF-1α in the pathogenesis of ccRCC and the association between selected SNPs and susceptibility to this cancer.

The role of EPAS1 polymorphisms on COPD susceptibility in southern Chinese

Objective

COPD is the most common chronic respiratory disease with complex environmental and genetic etiologies. It was reported that EPAS1 might participate in the occurrence and development of respiratory diseases. However, the association between EPAS1 and COPD was unclear.

Methods

First, a case-control study enrolling 1130 COPD patients and 1115 healthy controls in Guangzhou was conducted to clarify the association between EPAS1 polymorphisms and COPD susceptibility. Secondly, a prevalence study recruited 882 participants in Gansu to verify the effect of positive polymorphisms on lung function. Finally, the 10-year absolute risk considering environmental factors and genetic variations was calculated by the method of Gail and Bruzzi.

Results

EPAS1 rs13419896 AA genotype reduced COPD risk in southern Chinese (AA vs. GG: adjusted OR = 0.689, 95% CI = 0.498-0.955; AA vs. GG/GA: adjusted OR = 0.701, 95% CI = 0.511-0.962). Further, the rs13419896 A allele was significantly associated with higher pre-FEV1/pre-FVC in both the Guangzhou and Gansu populations (P < 0.05). Smoking status, coal as fuels, education level, and rs13419896 G > A were finally retained to develop a relative risk model for males. Smoking status, biomass as fuels, and rs13419896 G > A were retained in the female model. The population-attributable risk of the male or female model was 0.457 (0.283-0.632) and 0.421 (0.227-0.616), respectively.

Conclusions

This study first revealed that EPAS1 rs13419896 G > A decreased COPD susceptibility and could be a genetic marker to predict the 10-year absolute risk for COPD.

The relationship between VEGF-460(T>C) polymorphism and cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis based on 46 reports

BACKGROUND

Extensive studies on the link between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and various malignancy risks produced conflicting results, notably for VEGF-460(T/C). To evaluate this correlation more comprehensively and accurately, we perform a meta-analysis.

METHODS

Through retrieving 5 databases (Web of Science (WoS), Embase, Pubmed, Wanfang database (Wangfang), and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI)) and applying hand search, citation search, and gray literature search, 44 papers included 46 reports were enrolled. To evaluate the relationship between VEGF-460 and cancer risk, we pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

Our results indicated that the VEGF-460 polymorphism is not related to malignancy susceptibility (dominant model, OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.87-1.09; recessive model, OR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.82-1.10; heterozygous model, OR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.90-1.10; homozygous model, OR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.76-1.10; additive model, OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.90-1.07). While, in subgroup analysis, this SNP may reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma.

CONCLUSION

this meta-analysis indicated that VEGF-460 was irrelevant to overall malignancy risk, but it might be a protective factor for hepatocellular carcinoma.

VEGF single nucleotide polymorphisms predict improved outcome in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy

We aimed to investigate the prognostic role of genetic variants of VEGF in advanced NSCLC patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. A total of 196 patients with advanced NSCLC treated with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy were enrolled. We evaluated the relationship between VEGF polymorphisms and efficacy outcomes and chemotherapy toxicity. We found that rs699947, rs833061 and rs1005230 were in full linkage disequilibrium. Patients with CC genotype of rs833061 had a significant longer PFS than TT genotype (CC vs TT, HR = 1.67, 95%CI = 1.01-2.76, P = 0.043). Patients harbouring CC genotype had longer PFS compared with CT genotype (P < 0.001). Moreover, CC genotypes conferred a significantly increased PFS compared to CT and TT genotype in dominant model (CC vs CT + TT, HR = 1.95, 95%CI = 1.23-3.10, P = 0.005). Patients carrying TT genotype of rs833061 had improved both ORR (HR = 0.54, 95%CI = 0.30-0.98, P = 0.041) and DCR (HR = 0.37, 95%CI = 0.20-0.66, P = 0.001) than non-TT patients. Furthermore, no association was found between any rs833061 alleles and adverse events (P = 0.425), but patients carrying rs1570360 AA genotype were more likely to experience grade 3-4 toxicities (P = 0.004) (GG vs AA, HR = 3.16, 95%CI = 1.26-7.94, P = 0.015). In conclusion, the variant homozygote CC of rs833061 exhibited a better prognosis based on association analysis. The present study provides reference for the future study of platinum-based chemotherapy response and toxicity.

Genetic Association Analysis Implicates Six MicroRNA-Related SNPs With Increased Risk of Breast Cancer in Australian Caucasian Women

INTRODUCTION

Breast cancer (BC), a heterogeneous disease, features microRNA-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (miRSNPs) as underlying factors of BC development, thus providing targets for novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. This study investigated miRSNPs in BC susceptibility in Australian Caucasian women.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study population included patients 33 to 80 years of age stratified by molecular subtypes of breast tumors (luminal A, 47.59%), stage (stage I, 36.96%), tumor-type (ductal, 44.95%), grading (intermediate, 35.52%), size (10.1-25 mm, 31.14%), and lymph node (sentinel negative, 38.93%). Sixty-five miRSNPs underwent allelic analysis in two independent case-control cohorts (GU-CCQ-BB, 377 cases and 521 controls; GRC-BC, 267 cases and 201 controls) using a MassARRAY platform. GU-CCQ-BB, GRC-BC, and the combined populations (BC-CA) (644 cases and 722 controls) underwent independent statistical analysis.

RESULTS

In the GU-CCQ-BB population, miRSNPs TET2-rs7670522, ESR1-rs2046210, FGFR2-rs1219648, MIR210-rs1062099, HIF1A-rs2057482, and CASC16-rs4784227 were found to be associated with increased BC risk (P ≤ .05). Only ESR1-rs2046210 was also significantly associated (P ≤ .05) when replicated in the GRC-BC and BC-CA populations. No significant association was correlated with BC-clinical features (pathological types and ER/PR/HER2 status); however, MIR210-rs1062099 was found to be significantly associated (P ≤ .05) with age (>50 years) in the GU-CCQ-BB cohort.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to demonstrate the association of MIR210-rs1062099 and TET2-rs7670522 with increased BC risk. Additionally, four previously reported SNPs (ESR1-rs2046210, FGFR2-rs1219648, HIF1A-rs2057482, and CASC16-rs4784227) were confirmed as BC risk variants. Replication and functional studies in larger Caucasian cohorts are necessary to elucidate the role of these miRSNPS in the development of BC.

Association between HIF-1α gene polymorphisms and lung cancer: A meta-analysis

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), an important component of angiogenesis, is activated as a response to tumor hypoxia and facilitates tumor survival. Several case-control articles stressed the connection between lung cancer danger and HIF-1α gene polymorphism, but the conclusions were conflicting. Thus, this meta-analysis was carried out to assess the connection between HIF-1α gene polymorphisms (rs11549467, rs11549465, and rs2057482) and lung cancer risk.PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were systematically searched up to November 1, 2018. The study quality was quantified by the c. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled in 5 genetic models for assessment under a fixed- or random-effect model. Subgroup analyses were carried out by ethnicity and genotype method. Sensitivity analysis and publication bias were tested. Five eligible articles were enrolled.The rs11549467 significantly increased the lung cancer risk (OR [95% CI]: A vs G, 1.68 [1.03-2.76]; AA + AG vs GG, 1.70 [1.14-2.54]; AA vs GG, 1.59 [1.21-2.10]), whereas neither rs11549465 nor rs2057482 was related with the lung cancer risk. Subgroup analysis showed rs11549465 and rs11549467 increased lung cancer risk among Asians, but not whites. HIF-1α rs2057482 was unrelated to the risk of lung cancer in Asians and whites.HIF-1α gene rs11549465 and rs11549467, but not rs2057482, increased the risk of lung cancer among Asians.

The association between hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha gene rs2057482 polymorphism and cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Background

The rs2057482 polymorphism in the hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1A) gene has been reported to be associated with a risk of several types of cancer, but this association has not yet been definitively confirmed. We performed this meta-analysis to determine whether rs2057482 is associated with overall cancer risk.

Methods

The PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched for the potential studies about the association between the rs2057482 and cancer risk. The data of genotype frequencies in cases with cancer and controls were extracted from the selected studies. Odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to determine the strength of the associations.

Results

The meta-analysis showed an association between the rs2057482 polymorphism and overall cancer risk. However, a stratified analysis of ethnicity did not show any significant association between rs2057482 and cancer risk in the Asian population.

Conclusions

The rs2057482 polymorphism was associated with decreased overall cancer risk, based on the currently available studies. However, this conclusion needs verification by further well-designed epidemiology studies that examine different cancer types and more subjects.

HIF-1α rs11549465 C>T polymorphism contributes to increased cancer susceptibility: Evidence from 49 studies

HIF-1α (hypoxia-inducible factor-1α) is a transcriptional factor that participates in the regulation of oxygen homeostasis. Despites numbers of case-control studies working on this area, the actual relationship of HIF-1α gene generic variant rs11549465 C>T imposing on cancer susceptibility remains unveiled. To get a better understanding of such relationship, this meta-analysis was carried out by incorporating all eligible case-control studies. Qualified articles were acquired from PubMed, CNKI, EMBASE, PMC, and Wanfang database update to April 2019. Odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were employed to estimate the relationship of interest. Heterogeneity tests, sensitivity analyses and publication bias assessments were also carried out to ensure the strength of our conclusion. A total of 46 articles with 49 studies including 12920 cases and 13363 controls were included. The results indicated that HIF-1α rs11549465 C>T was significantly related to the increased risk of overall cancer under four genetic models (TT vs. CC: OR=2.06, 95% CI=1.34-3.16; TT vs. CC/CT: OR=2.42, 95% CI=1.60-3.65; CT/TT vs. CC: OR=1.21, 95% CI=1.04-1.40; T vs. C: OR=1.29, 95% CI=1.12-1.48). Furthermore, enhanced cancer risk was detected after stratification by cancer type, ethnicity, the source of controls and HWE. These results suggest that HIF-1α rs11549465 C>T polymorphism may predispose to cancer susceptibility.

Association between VEGF Gene Polymorphisms and the Susceptibility to Lung Cancer: An Updated Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The association between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene polymorphisms (-2578C/A, +936C/T, and -460C/T) and lung cancer risk has been extensively studied in the last decades, but currently available results remain controversial or ambiguous. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess whether the relationship between the VEGF gene and lung cancer susceptibility exists.

METHODS

The meta-analysis was conducted by searching the databases PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science covering all eligible studies published up to October 1, 2017. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) as well as their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized to evaluate the possible associations. Publication bias of relevant studies was examined via Begg's funnel plots and Egger's regression tests.

RESULTS

This meta-analysis included 13 published case-control studies covering 4477 patients with lung cancer and 4346 healthy controls, who had been accrued from December 1992 to July 2012. For the overall eligible data collected in our meta-analysis, it indicated that VEGF +936C/T, -460C/T, and -2578C/A polymorphisms did not correlate with the elevated lung cancer risk in all genetic comparison models. Moreover, VEGF +460T/C polymorphism was found to be significantly associated with susceptibility to lung cancer in these models (allele model: pooled OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.00-1.26, P = 0.184; homozygote model: pooled OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.12-2.03, P = 0.821), but no significant results were detected in Caucasian populations.

CONCLUSIONS

VEGF +936C/T, -460C/T, and -2578C/A polymorphisms were not associated with the risk of lung cancer. The VEGF +460T/C polymorphism might be a risk factor for lung cancer only in Asian populations.

Cancer stem cells and hypoxia-inducible factors (Review)

Cancer stem cells (CSCs), also known as tumor-initiating cells, are a subpopulation of tumor cells that exhibit properties similar to those of normal stem cells. Oxygen is an important regulator of cellular metabolism; hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) mediate metabolic switches in cells in hypoxic environments. Hypoxia clearly has the potential to exert a significant effect on the maintenance and evolution of CSCs. Both HIF‑1α and HIF‑2α may contribute to the regulation of cellular adaptation to hypoxia and resistance to cancer therapies. This review provides an overview of the roles of HIFs in CSCs. HIF‑1α and HIF‑2α have significant prognostic and predictive value in the clinic and the concept of personalized medicine should be applied in designing clinical trials for HIF inhibitors.

Relationship of SNP rs2645429 in Farnesyl-Diphosphate Farnesyltransferase 1 Gene Promoter with Susceptibility to Lung Cancer

Background and Purpose

The mevalonate pathway is one of the major metabolic pathways that use acetyl-CoA to produce sterols and isoprenoids. These compounds can be effective in the growth and development of tumors. One of the enzymes involved in the mevalonate pathway is FDFT1. Different variants of this gene are involved in the risk of suffering various diseases. The present study examined the relationship between FDFT1 rs2645429 polymorphism and the risk of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a population from southern Iran.

Method

The genotypes of rs2645429 polymorphism of FDFT1 gene were examined in 95 samples: 34 patients with NSCLC and 61 healthy individuals by RFLP method.

Results

The results of this study indicated that C allele of this polymorphism was effectively associated with the risk of NSCLC in the Iranian population (p value = 0.023; OR = 2.71; 95% CI = 1.12–6.59) and CC genotype has significant relation with susceptibility to NSCLC (p value = 0.029; OR = 3.02; 95% CI = 1.09–8.39). This polymorphism is located in the promoter region FDFT1 gene, and CC genotype may increase the activity of this promoter. This study also found a significant relationship between C allele and metastatic status. C allele was more common in NSCLC patients. (p = 0.04).

Conclusion

C allele of FDFT1 rs2645429 polymorphism gene can be a risk factor for NSCLC, whereas T allele probably has a low protective role.