Association of a genetic variant in the angiopoietin-like protein 4 gene with cervical cancer

Background: Cervical cancer is among the most aggressive gynecological tumors and is a consequence of interactions between genetic and epigenetic factors. Several genetic polymorphisms related to cervical cancer have been reported in previous clinical studies. In this study, we aimed to explore the possible relationship between polymorphisms of the ANGPTL4 gene locus and susceptibility to cervical cancer. Methods: We investigated the relationship between a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the ANPGTL4 gene (rs116843064) and risk of cervical cancer in a total of 378 individuals with (n = 151), or without (n = 227) cancer. DNA was extracted, and genotyped using a Taq-Man based real time PCR. Results: The ANPGTL4 polymorphism was found to be associated with an increased risk of developing cervical neoplasia using dominant model (OR = 12.48, CI = 4.9-31.82, p< 0.0001) and additive model (OR = 30.54, CI = 7.35-126.89, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Our results indicate that there is a strong association between ANPGTL4 and the susceptibility for cervical cancer suggesting that it is a potential risk factor for cervical neoplasia.