BACKGROUND: Lysosome-associated protein transmembrane 4 beta (LAPTM4B), a novel oncoprotein, is overexpressed in several carcinomas. Previous studies revealed that LAPTM4B polymorphisms contribute to the risk of certain types of cancers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between different LAPTM4B alleles and the risk of cervical carcinoma. METHODS: A case-control analysis was performed in 317 patients with cervical cancer and 416 control subjects. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood lymphocytes in all participants. LAPTM4B genotypes were determined using polymerase chain reaction. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed using an unconditional logistic regression model. RESULTS: There was a significant difference (P<.001) in LAPTM4B*2 allele frequency between cervical cancer cases (35.8%) and controls (26.3%). There was also a significant difference in the overall genotypic distribution between patients and controls (P < .001). Using the LAPTM4B*1/1 genotype as a reference, we found that LAPTM4B allelic variation was associated with a significantly increased risk of cervical cancer, with adjusted odds ratios of 1.60 (95% CI, 1.15-2.22) and 2.12 (95% CI, 1.20-3.76) for the *1/2 and *2/2 genotype, respectively. Stratification analysis indicated that the association was more pronounced in younger subjects, smokers, premenopausal women, and women with more parities. Moreover, multiplicative joint effects were found between the *1/2 or *2/2 genotype and smoking. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study indicated that the LAPTM4B*2 allele might be a cervical cancer risk factor and may play an important role in genetic susceptibility to cervical cancer in the Chinese population.
BACKGROUND: Lysosome-associated protein transmembrane 4 beta (LAPTM4B), a novel oncoprotein, is overexpressed in several carcinomas. Previous studies revealed that LAPTM4B polymorphisms contribute to the risk of certain types of cancers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between different LAPTM4B alleles and the risk of cervical carcinoma. METHODS: A case-control analysis was performed in 317 patients with cervical cancer and 416 control subjects. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood lymphocytes in all participants. LAPTM4B genotypes were determined using polymerase chain reaction. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed using an unconditional logistic regression model. RESULTS: There was a significant difference (P<.001) in LAPTM4B*2 allele frequency between cervical cancer cases (35.8%) and controls (26.3%). There was also a significant difference in the overall genotypic distribution between patients and controls (P < .001). Using the LAPTM4B*1/1 genotype as a reference, we found that LAPTM4B allelic variation was associated with a significantly increased risk of cervical cancer, with adjusted odds ratios of 1.60 (95% CI, 1.15-2.22) and 2.12 (95% CI, 1.20-3.76) for the *1/2 and *2/2 genotype, respectively. Stratification analysis indicated that the association was more pronounced in younger subjects, smokers, premenopausal women, and women with more parities. Moreover, multiplicative joint effects were found between the *1/2 or *2/2 genotype and smoking. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study indicated that the LAPTM4B*2 allele might be a cervical cancer risk factor and may play an important role in genetic susceptibility to cervical cancer in the Chinese population.