Polymorphic CAG repeat length within the androgen receptor gene: identification of a subgroup of patients with increased risk of ovarian cancer

  • Authors:
    • Manuela Santarosa
    • Ettore Bidoli
    • Angelo Gallo
    • Agostino Steffan
    • Mauro Boiocchi
    • Alessandra Viel
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: May 1, 2002     https://doi.org/10.3892/or.9.3.639
  • Pages: 639-644
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Abstract

The CAG repeat (CAGn) present in the N-terminal region of the androgen receptor (AR) inversely correlates with AR transactivation activity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether polymorphic variation in the CAGn length is associated with the risk of developing ovarian cancer. Using a case-control study design 121 women with histologically confirmed ovarian cancer and 100 controls (healthy women) were genotyped for AR-CAG length. No marked difference in the mean length of CAGn was observed between ovarian cancer patients and controls. However, when considering patients with positive personal or family history of tumor (PPFHT), the mean lengths of the long allele, the short allele and the average of the 2 alleles were longer than in the controls. Odds ratios (OR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed after allowance for age. We observed an increase in the risk of ovarian cancer, in terms of OR, in women with CAGn ≥22 (OR=2.17, 95% CI:1.10-4.27). The increase of relative risk was particularly high in women with CAGn ≥22 belonging to the PPFHT group: OR=3.52 (95% CI 1.18-10.47). We also found a statistically significant trend (χ2 trend=4.91; p=0.03) towards an increased risk of ovarian cancer with increasing CAGn length (from ≤21 to 22-23, 24-25 and ≥26). Again, a strong association between increase in CAGn and risk of ovarian cancer was observed in PPFHT patients (χ2 trend=6.38; p=0.01). The results suggest that AR-CAG repeat length could play a role as modifier of the ovarian cancer risk conferred by highly penetrant genes rather than itself conferring a low risk.

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May-June 2002
Volume 9 Issue 3

Print ISSN: 1021-335X
Online ISSN:1791-2431

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Spandidos Publications style
Santarosa M, Bidoli E, Gallo A, Steffan A, Boiocchi M and Viel A: Polymorphic CAG repeat length within the androgen receptor gene: identification of a subgroup of patients with increased risk of ovarian cancer. Oncol Rep 9: 639-644, 2002
APA
Santarosa, M., Bidoli, E., Gallo, A., Steffan, A., Boiocchi, M., & Viel, A. (2002). Polymorphic CAG repeat length within the androgen receptor gene: identification of a subgroup of patients with increased risk of ovarian cancer. Oncology Reports, 9, 639-644. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.9.3.639
MLA
Santarosa, M., Bidoli, E., Gallo, A., Steffan, A., Boiocchi, M., Viel, A."Polymorphic CAG repeat length within the androgen receptor gene: identification of a subgroup of patients with increased risk of ovarian cancer". Oncology Reports 9.3 (2002): 639-644.
Chicago
Santarosa, M., Bidoli, E., Gallo, A., Steffan, A., Boiocchi, M., Viel, A."Polymorphic CAG repeat length within the androgen receptor gene: identification of a subgroup of patients with increased risk of ovarian cancer". Oncology Reports 9, no. 3 (2002): 639-644. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.9.3.639