Influence of the hTERT rs2736100 polymorphism on telomere length in gastric cancer

AIM: To investigate the functional consequences of rs2736100 polymorphism in telomere length and examine its link to gastric cancer risk. METHODS: Telomere length and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) mRNA expression were measured in 35 gastric cancer tissues and 5 cell lines and correlated to rs2736100 polymorphism. The relationship between rs2736100 polymorphism and the risk of gastric cancer were examined in 243 gastric cancer patients and 246 healthy individuals. RESULTS: The rs2736100 A allele carrier is closely associated with reduced hTERT mRNA expression and shortened telomere length in gastric cancer tissue and cell lines. When gastric cancers were stratified by histological subtype, telomere length and hTERT mRNA levels were significantly increased in those with the C/C genotype in intestinal-type gastric cancer, but not in diffuse-type gastric cancer. Interestingly, there was no significant difference in the genotype and allele frequencies of the rs2736100 polymorphism between the patients with gastric cancer and healthy controls. CONCLUSION: The rs2736100 polymorphism of the hTERT gene is involved in the regulation of hTERT expression and telomere length, but not in the risk of gastric cancer.