Progesterone receptor gene variants and risk of endometrial cancer

• Published in: Carcinogenesis (New York) Vol. 32; no. 3; pp. 331 - 335
• Main Authors: O'MARA, Tracy A, FAHEY, Paul, CZENE, Kamila, SASBAC, REBBECK, Timothy R, SEARCH, AHMED, Shahana, DUNNING, Alison M, GREGORY, Catherine S, SHAH, Mitul, ANECS, WEBB, Penelope M, FERGUSON, Kaltin, SPURDLE, Amanda B, MARQUART, Louise, LAMBRECHTS, Diether, DESPIERRE, Evelyn, VERGOTE, Ignace, AMANT, Frederic, HALL, Per, JIANJUN LIU
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.03.2011
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinogenesis, carcinogens and anticarcinogens; Case-Control Studies; DNA, Neoplasm - genetics; Endometrial Neoplasms - genetics; Endometrial Neoplasms - pathology; Female; Female genital diseases; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genotype; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Haplotypes - genetics; Humans; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Middle Aged; Molecular Epidemiology; Odds Ratio; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide - genetics; Receptors, Progesterone - genetics; Risk Factors; Tumors; Young Adult; Endometrium cancer; Genetic variability; Genotype; Malignant tumor; Progesterone receptor; Female genital diseases; Variant; Gene; Risk factor; Uterine diseases; Genetics; Cancer; Hormonal receptor
• ISSN: 0143-3334; 1460-2180; 1460-2180
• DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgq263

Prolonged excessive estrogen exposure unopposed by progesterone is widely accepted to be a risk factor for endometrial cancer development. The physiological function of progesterone is dependent upon the presence of its receptor [progesterone receptor (PGR)] and several studies have reported single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the PGR gene to be associated with endometrial cancer risk. We sought to confirm the associations with endometrial cancer risk previously reported for four different PGR polymorphisms. A maximum of 2888 endometrial cancer cases and 4483 female control subjects from up to three studies were genotyped for four PGR polymorphisms (rs1042838, rs10895068, rs11224561 and rs471767). Logistic regression with adjustment for age, study, ethnicity and body mass index was performed to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and P-values. Of the four SNPs investigated, only rs11224561 in the 3' region of the PGR gene was found to be significantly associated with endometrial cancer risk. The A allele of the rs11224561 SNP was associated with increased risk of endometrial cancer (OR per allele 1.31; 95% CI 1.12-1.53, P = 0.001, adjusted for age and study), an effect of the same magnitude and direction as reported previously. We have validated the endometrial cancer risk association with a tagSNP in the 3' untranslated region of PGR previously reported in an Asian population. Replication studies will be required to refine the risk estimate and to establish if this, or a correlated SNP, is the underlying causative variant.