Polymorphisms of the formylpeptide receptor gene (FPR1) and susceptibility to stomach cancer in 1531 consecutive autopsy cases

► This study presents noble finding on the relationship between stomach cancer and formyl peptide receptor (FPR1) related to inflammation. ► Our finding will be important in early detection of stomach cancer for a prevention. ► Our finding may give an useful information for further genetic epidemiology and association studies of relationship between gene and stomach cancer. ► The convenient high-throughput assay for tri-allelic SNPs described in our study would be useful in determination for multiple alleles. Formylpeptide receptor (FPR1) is involved in inflammation, which is important in the pathogenesis of diverse conditions, including common diseases and cancers. To date, little is known about the relationships between FPR1 and such diseases, aside from the fact that FPR1 is related to periodontitis, which is implicated in systemic diseases such as stomach cancer. We hypothesized that FPR1 polymorphisms related to periodontal disease may confer susceptibility to stomach cancer. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the second extracellular region and C-terminus of the formylpeptide receptor gene were analyzed in 1531 consecutive autopsy cases in the Japanese elderly. The tri-allelic SNP of rs1042229 was detected by modified melting temperature analysis. Homozygous K alleles of rs1042229 were associated with stomach cancer (Odds ratio [OR] = 1.62, confidence interval [CI] = 1.05–2.48, p = 0.028). In the analysis of the recessive model of the K allele, FPR1 was associated with a high risk of stomach cancer (OR = 1.73, CI = 1.15–2.55, p = 0.0075). The risk allele for stomach cancer pointed in the same direction as periodontitis. This is the first study to evaluate polymorphisms of the FPR1 gene in stomach cancer to find a positive association between these polymorphisms and stomach cancer. Further studies on the relationship between stomach cancer and the FPR1 gene are warranted.