Gastric cancer risk predisposition and prognostic significance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene polymorphisms in an Omani population

Abstract

4568 Background: VEGF plays a central role in the angiogenesis, tumor growth and metastasis. VEGF gene polymorphisms at various loci and gastric cancer (GC) risk predisposition and their prognostic significance were studied previously with controversial results Methods: We analyzed three VEGF polymorphisms (+405 G>C, -460T>C, and +936C>T) by extraction of genomic DNA from peripheral blood of 130 GC patients and 130 control subjects followed by VEGF genotyping using PCR-RFLP analysis and the determination of the polymorphisms GC risk predisposition and their prognostic significance Results: There was no significant association between the VEGF polymorphisms and gastric cancer risk. There was a significant correlation between +405 C/C genotype and poor tumor differentiation (p=0.007) and lymph node metastasis (p=0.03) and 460T/T genotype and poor differentiation (p=0.03) with statistical trend for lymph node involvement (p=0.05). VEGF gene polymorphisms had no significant effect on survival, but VEGF +405 G/G genotype had lower survival with hazard ratio 1.6 [95% CI, 0.9–2.9] compared to VEGF +405 CC/GC combined genotype (p=0.04). Multivariate analysis showed that disease stage at diagnosis, and +405 G/G genotype were independent variables of adverse prognostic significance. There were no associations between the common six haplotypes identified and GC risk predisposition and survival. Conclusions: The current study suggests that VEGF polymorphisms in GC patients may have predictive and prognostic significance. No significant financial relationships to disclose.