The effect of polymorphisms in PD-1 gene on the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer and patients' outcomes

Abstract

ObjectiveProgrammed death-1 (PD-1), an important immunosuppressive molecule, plays a key role in tumor-cell-mediated immune escape. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of PD-1 gene polymorphisms on the risk of developing epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and patients' outcomes. MethodsA case–control study was performed in 620 EOC patients and 620 control women. Survival data were available for 258 patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy after cytoreductive surgery. ResultsThere were significant differences in the genotype and allele distribution frequencies of the PD-1.1 A/G between cases and controls (P=0.028 and P=0.02, respectively). Compared with the AA genotype, AG and GG genotypes may significantly decrease the risk of developing EOC (OR=0.71, 95%CI=0.54–0.94; OR=0.68, 95%CI=0.50–0.94, respectively). We did not find a significant difference in the genotype distribution frequency of the PD-1.5 C/T between cases and controls (P=0.096), but the frequency of T alleles was significantly lower in the EOC cases than that in the controls (P=0.033). Compared to the carriers with C alleles, the carriers with T alleles were at a significantly decreased risk of developing EOC (OR=0.82, 95%CI=0.69–0.98). Survival analysis showed that the two polymorphisms were not associated with patients' outcomes. ConclusionsPD-1 gene polymorphisms may be involved in the development of EOC, but not associated with its clinical outcome in EOC patients among northern Chinese women.