The epithelial cadherin –160C/A polymorphism is associated with decreased risk of colorectal cancer: a case–control study

The epithelial cadherin (CDH1) is an important determinant of tumor progression. Previous studies have indicated that the CDH1 –160C/A polymorphism was associated with the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, they yielded conflicting results. Thus, we conducted this case–control study to evaluate the association between the CDH1 –160C/A polymorphism and susceptibility to CRC in a Chinese population. We recruited 351 cases and 411 controls in this case–control study. The genotype of the CDH1 –160C/A polymorphism was performed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS). This study found that the CDH1 –160C/A polymorphism was associated with decreased risk of CRC in this Chinese Han population. Subgroup analyses showed that the CDH1 –160C/A polymorphism decreased the risk of CRC among the males and non-drinkers. In addition, a significantly decreased risk was observed in CRC patients with tumor size ≤ 5 cm, and AA genotype showed a protective role in the CRC patients with no lymph node metastasis. In conclusion, this study shows that CDH1 –160C/A polymorphism is associated with decreased risk of CRC in a Chinese Han population.