Endocr Relat Cancer 2016 Feb 16;23(2):77-91. Epub 2015 Nov 16.
Department of Public Health and Primary CareCentre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology, University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, Worts Causeway, Cambridge, Cambridge CB1 8RN, UKDepartment of Genetics and Computational BiologyQIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, 4006, AustraliaWellcome Trust Centre for Human GeneticsUniversity of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UKAcademic Department of BiochemistryRoyal Marsden Hospital, London SW3 6JJ, UKDepartment of Clinical GeneticsSt George's Hospital Medical School, London SW17 0RE, UKDepartment of OncologyCentre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB1 8RN, UKDepartment of Medical Epidemiology and BiostatisticsKarolinska Institutet, Stockholm SE-171 77, SwedenDepartment of MedicineDivision of Hematology/Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USADepartment of Gynecology and ObstetricsUniversity Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen 91054, GermanyInstitute of Human GeneticsUniversity Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen 91054, GermanyGynaecology Research UnitHannover Medical School, Hannover 30625, GermanyClinics of Gynaecology and ObstetricsHannover Medical School, Hannover 30625, GermanyDepartment of GynaecologyJena University Hospital - Friedrich Schiller University, Jena 07743, GermanyVesalius Research CenterLeuven 3000, BelgiumLaboratory for Translational GeneticsDepartment of Oncology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven 3000, BelgiumDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyDivision of Gynecologic Oncology, University Hospitals, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven 3000, BelgiumDepartment of Health Sciences ResearchMayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USADepartment of BiostatisticsUniversity of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USADepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyDivision of G
Candidate gene studies have reported CYP19A1 variants to be associated with endometrial cancer and with estradiol (E2) concentrations. We analyzed 2937 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 6608 endometrial cancer cases and 37 925 controls and report the first genome wide-significant association between endometrial cancer and a CYP19A1 SNP (rs727479 in intron 2, P=4.8×10(-11)). SNP rs727479 was also among those most strongly associated with circulating E2 concentrations in 2767 post-menopausal controls (P=7.4×10(-8)). The observed endometrial cancer odds ratio per rs727479 A-allele (1.15, CI=1.11-1.21) is compatible with that predicted by the observed effect on E2 concentrations (1.09, CI=1.03-1.21), consistent with the hypothesis that endometrial cancer risk is driven by E2. From 28 candidate-causal SNPs, 12 co-located with three putative gene-regulatory elements and their risk alleles associated with higher CYP19A1 expression in bioinformatical analyses. For both phenotypes, the associations with rs727479 were stronger among women with a higher BMI (Pinteraction=0.034 and 0.066 respectively), suggesting a biologically plausible gene-environment interaction.