Rapid Communication
Copyright ©2007 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Dec 7, 2007; 13(45): 6082-6086
Published online Dec 7, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i45.6082
DNA methyltransferase 3B promoter polymorphism and its susceptibility to primary hepatocellular carcinoma in the Chinese Han nationality population: A case-control study
Ying Wu, Ju-Sheng Lin
Ying Wu, Ju-Sheng Lin, Institute of Liver Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Ju-Sheng Lin, Professor, Institute of Liver Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, China. jslin@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn
Telephone: +86-27-83663661 Fax: +86-27-83663661
Received: May 16, 2007
Revised: September 10, 2007
Accepted: October 27, 2007
Published online: December 7, 2007
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the correlation between C/T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the promoter of the DNA methyltransferase 3B (DNMT3B) gene and risk for development and progression of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS: One hundred case subjects were selected consecutively from Tongji Hospital (Wuhan, China). from March to November 2006. They did not receive radiotherapy or chemotherapy for newly diagnosed and histopathologically confirmed HCC. One hundred and forty control subjects having no history of cancerous or genetic diseases were healthy volunteers to Wuhan Blood Center in the same period. Frequency was matched for sex, age, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking status of the case subjects. C/T polymorphism of the DNMT3B promoter was analyzed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and sequencing analysis. The association between genotypes of DNMT3B and clinicopathological parameters among cases was also studied.

RESULTS: The CC genotype was not detected in both HCC patients and controls. In control subjects, the frequency of TT and CT genotypes was 99.3% and 0.7% respectively, and that of T and C alleles was 99.6% and 0.4% respectively. The frequency of CT genotype was higher in HCC (3.0%). The frequency of T and C alleles was 98.5% and 1.5% respectively. However, the genotype and allelotype distribution in HCC patients was not significantly different from that in controls.

CONCLUSION: C/T polymorphism is not associated with the increased risk of HCC. DNMT3B genetic polymorphism is variable in different races, ethnic groups or geographic areas. Further study is needed to clarify the role of DNMT3B SNP in the development of HCC among other populations.

Keywords: DNA methyltransferase; Single nucleotide polymorphism; Susceptibility; Primary hepatocellular carcinoma