Association between phospholipase C epsilon gene (PLCE1) polymorphism and colorectal cancer risk in a Chinese population.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between a single nucleotide polymorphism rs2274223 (adenine [A] to guanine [G]) in the phospholipase C epsilon 1 (PLCE1) gene and susceptibility to colorectal cancer (CRC).
METHODS: The PLCE1 rs2274223 polymorphism was genotyped in patients with CRC and age- and sex-matched cancer-free control subjects from a Chinese population in a case-control study. PLCE1 mRNA levels in pair-matched tumour and adjacent noncancerous tissue were evaluated by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.
RESULTS: A total of 417 patients with CRC and 416 control subjects were enrolled in the study. The AG and GG genotypes of PLCE1 rs2274223 were associated with a significantly increased risk of CRC (for AG + GG versus AA: adjusted odds ratio 1.52, 95% confidence interval 1.15, 2.00). PLCE1 mRNA levels were significantly lower in tumours than in adjacent noncancerous tissue. Lower levels of PLCE1 mRNA were observed in both AG and GG genotype carriers compared with the AA genotype carriers.
CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the PLCE1 rs2274223 A > G change might reduce gene expression and that the variant G genotype might contribute to the increased risk of CRC.