Polymorphisms in the E-cadherin (CDH1) gene promoter and the risk of bladder cancer

AimE-cadherin plays a role in carcinogenesis. For two genetic polymorphisms in the gene (CDH1) promoter, a reduced transcription has been reported: a C/A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and a G/GA SNP at −160 bp and −347 bp, respectively, upstream of the transcriptional start site. We studied the association between both polymorphisms and the risk of bladder cancer.MethodsOne hundred and ninety-seven patients with bladder cancer and 344 population controls were genotyped and haplotyped for both SNPs.ResultsA borderline significantly increased risk for bladder cancer was found for A allele carriers (OR 1.36; 95% CI: 0.96–1.94). We did not find any association between the –347 G/GA SNP and bladder cancer. Haplotype analyses did not yield much stronger associations with bladder cancer than the –160 C/A genotype analyses.ConclusionThis study supports earlier suggestions that the –160 C/A SNP in the CDH1 promoter is a risk factor for bladder cancer.