Polymorphisms of the DNA gene XPD and risk of bladder cancer in a Southeastern Chinese population

The incidence rate for bladder cancer has been increasing in many countries, and bladder cancer is the most common urinary cancer in China. We explored the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in DNA repair genes with bladder cancer. The hypothesis is that the xeroderma pigmentosum complementary group D (XPD) 156-22541C→A and 751-35931A→C polymorphisms are associated with the risk of bladder cancer. In a population-based case-control study, 215 patients with newly diagnosed bladder transitional cell carcinoma and 245 cancer-free controls/healthy subjects (frequency-matched by the age and sex) were genotyped. These two polymorphisms were studied using the polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism method. We found that the A allele of XPD Arg156Arg (C22541A) and the C allele of XPD Lys751Gln (A35931C) is associated with increased risk of bladder cancer (adjusted odds ratio = 1.54 and 95% confidence interval = 1.19–2.01, 1.65, and 1.12–2.73, respectively). Smoking is also a risk factor in the etiology of bladder cancer, but alcohol intake is a protective factor during the development of bladder cancer. These two XPD polymorphisms may play an important role in the etiology of bladder cancer in the southeastern Chinese population.