Article About Stomach Cancer

[Nantzie]

I just got my son's genetic test results today and was doing a websearch on HLA-DQB1*0301 (DQ3). I came across this article on Medscape from 2002. It's really short, so I'll copy and paste it, then provide the link.

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Association of HLA-DQB1*0301 and HLA-DQB1*0602 with different subtypes of gastric cancer in Taiwan.

Jpn J Cancer Res. 2002; 93(4):404-10 (ISSN: 0910-5050)

Wu MS ; Hsieh RP ; Huang SP ; Chang YT ; Lin MT ; Chang MC ; Shun CT ; Sheu JC ; Lin JT

Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

Gastric cancer (GC) is a heterogeneous disorder with multifactorial etiologies. Genetic predisposition, environmental factors, and Helicobacter pylori infection are thought to interact in the manifestation of GC. Particular human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles play a pivotal role in cellular immunity and may be an important genetically determined host trait. To elucidate the association between the genotype of HLA class II genes and the clinical phenotype of GC, polymorphisms of HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 were determined by polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers in 106 Taiwanese patients with GC and in 208 healthy controls. Comparison of allele frequencies between GC patients and healthy controls showed no significant difference at the HLA-DRB1 locus. Patients with GC had a higher frequency of DQB1(*)0602 (9.4% vs. 3.6%, P < 0.05, odds ratio 2.79, 95% confidence interval 1.41 - 5.47) and a lower frequency of DQB1(*)0301 (14.6% vs. 23.8%, P < 0.05, odds ratio 0.55, 95% confidence interval 0.35 - 0.85) compared to healthy controls. Correlation of HLA-DQB1 status with clinicopathologic features revealed predominance of male gender (16/3 vs. 50/37, P < 0.05) and proximal location (12/7 vs. 28/59, P < 0.05) in patients with positive HLA-DBQ1(*)0602 compared to those with negative HLA-DBQ1(*)0602. In contrast, a higher ratio of diffuse/intestinal subtype (20/10 vs. 30/46, P < 0.05) and a lower seropositivity of Helicobacter pylori (14/30 vs. 58/76, P < 0.005) were noted in patients with positive HLA-DQB1(*)0301 compared to those with negative HLA-DQB1(*)0301. In conclusion, HLA-DQB1(*)0602 confers susceptibility to gastric cancer, especially for male Taiwanese and proximal tumor location, while HLA-DQB1(*)0301 may have a protective effect on GC, probably through resistance to Helicobacter pylori infection. HLA-DQB1 alleles are associated with susceptibility or resistance to GC and also influence its clinical features.

PreMedline Identifier: 11985790

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Oh ugg. I feel like I'm gonna be sick. My dad died of stomach cancer. And my daughter, my son and I all have the 0602 gene. My son has the 0301, which appears to be good news. My dad never knew his father, but I could swear when we heard about him YEARS ago, he had died of stomach cancer.

Crap.

Well, it's a good thing I like my GI doctor.

This really irks me, because I keep seeing things that say that there's no evidence of a link between gluten intolerance and stomach cancer. That's BS. How much more of a link can there be than the two conditions having the EXACT SAME GENE.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nancy

[skbird]

Hey - yeah, I have 602 also. But I wouldn't stress about it too much - first of all, if you are gluten free (and your son, etc) then you have already lowered the chance of any of this happening. Also, this experiment was conducted on males from Taiwan, so unless you are of this specific group, it might not have anything to do with the other. Meaning there are other variables present. I have looked my genes up before and gotten all freaked out - the other one I have, 303, is linked with some weird stuff - but all the studies are of Arabic women, which I am not. I did ask if the fact I have a gene that seems to be linked with Mediterranean/Arabic routes when I am obviously not (I"m 7/8ths Dutch, the rest is Scottish/Welsh) is a fluke or what. There are no absolute answers.

Anyway, it's interesting stuff and something to be mindful of, but don't keep yourself up at night... Seriously!

Take care -

Stephanie

[Nantzie]

Yea, you're right. Thanks for the perspective. I'm only about 20% freaked now. And from what my dad's doctors said, stomach cancer is considered a rare cancer. So...

I'm just going to take stomach issues seriously. So many people just start popping Tums or drinking Pepto and don't bother to go to the doctor when it doesn't clear up quickly.

Nancy

[mommida]

The article that just made headlines recently about the family that decided to have their stomachs removed because of genetic testing never mentioned what genes were involved did they?

L.

[Jennas-auntie]

The article that just made headlines recently about the family that decided to have their stomachs removed because of genetic testing never mentioned what genes were involved did they?

L.

This is from an article posted about that familyon CNN-sounds like CDH1.

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The CDH1 gene mutation was first discovered in 1998 in a large New Zealand family with a history of stomach cancer. Those with the mutation have a 70 percent risk of stomach cancer.

It killed Golda Bradfield in 1960. She passed the faulty gene to seven of her children. Six died of the disease in their 40s and 50s.

The 18 grandchildren learned of the defective gene after one of them, David Allen, died of stomach cancer in 2003. His doctor had sent a blood sample to Huntsman's lab, which confirmed the genetic mutation.