CDH1 gene polymorphisms, smoking, Helicobacter pylori infection and the risk of gastric cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-EURGAST)

Despite declining incidence rates, gastric cancer (GC) is a major cause of death worldwide. E-Cadherin is an adhesion molecule that is thought to be involved in GC. Germline mutations in the E-Cadherin gene (CDH1) have been identified in hereditary diffuse GC. Also, a promoter polymorphism at position -160 C/A has been suggested to lead to transcriptional down regulation and has been shown to affect GC risk in some studies. However, very little information exists on the GC risk association of other CDH1 polymorphisms and it is unclear whether any associations may be different by GC anatomical sites or histological types. Thus, a case-control study (cases = 245/controls = 950) nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort was conducted to assess the GC risk association of eight CDH1 gene polymorphisms. None of the CDH1 polymorphisms or haplotypes analysed were associated with GC risk and no differences of effect were observed by Helicobacter pylori infection status. However, three CDH1 polymorphisms in the same haplotype block, including the CDH1-160C/A, interacted with smoking to increase GC risk in smokers but not in never smokers. These findings should be confirmed in larger independent studies.