DNA repair gene polymorphisms and risk of chronic atrophic gastritis: a case-control study

Recent studies have reported associations of DNA repair pathway gene variants and risk of various cancers and precancerous lesions, such as chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG). A nested case-control study within the German population-based ESTHER cohort was conducted, including 533 CAG cases and 1054 controls. Polymorphisms in eleven DNA repair genes (APEX1, ERCC1, ERCC2/XPD, PARP1 and XRCC1), in CD3EAP/ASE-1 and PPP1R13L were analysed. No association was disclosed for any of the analysed polymorphisms. Nor did stratified analyses according to ages < 65 and ≥ 65 years show any significant association with CAG risk. The results of this large German case-control study do not reveal associations of DNA repair pathway polymorphisms and risk of CAG. On the basis of a large number of CAG cases, they do not support associations of DNA repair pathway SNPs with CAG risk, but suggest the need of larger studies to disclose or exclude potential weak associations, or of studies with full coverage of candidate genes.