Associations of polymorphisms in histidine decarboxylase, histamine N-methyltransferase and histamine receptor H3 genes with breast cancer

PLoS One. 2014 May 16;9(5):e97728. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097728. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

We previously found that genetic polymorphisms in gene coding for histamine H4 receptors were related to the risk and malignant degree of breast cancer. The roles of polymorphisms in other histamine-related genes, such as histidine decarboxylase (HDC), histamine N-methyltransferase (HNMT) and histamine H3 receptor (HRH3), remain unexplored. The aim of this study is to analyze the clinical associations of polymorphisms in HDC, HNMT and HRH3 with breast cancer. Two hundred and one unrelated Chinese Han breast cancer patients and 205 ethnicity-matched health controls were recruited for case-control investigation. Genomic DNA from the participants was extracted and 5 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in HDC, HNMT and HRH3 were genotyped. We found that polymorphisms of HNMT and HRH3 were irrelevant with breast cancer in the present study. However, the T allele of rs7164386 in HDC significantly decreased the risk of breast cancer (adjusted odds ratios [ORs], 0.387; 95% confidence intervals [CIs], 0.208-0.720; P = 0.003). Furthermore, for HDC haplotypes, the CG haplotype of rs7164386-rs7182203 was more frequent among breast cancer patients (adjusted OR, 1.828; 95% CI, 1.218-2.744; P = 0.004) while the TG haplotype was more frequent among health controls (adjusted OR, 0.351; 95% CI, 0.182-0.678; P = 0.002). These findings indicated that polymorphisms of HDC gene were significantly associated with breast cancer in Chinese Han population and may be novel diagnostic or therapeutic targets for breast cancer. Further studies with larger participants worldwide are still needed for conclusion validation.

Publication types

  • Controlled Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Alleles
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Breast Neoplasms / physiopathology
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / genetics*
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / physiopathology
  • China
  • Female
  • Genetic Association Studies*
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Genotype
  • Histamine N-Methyltransferase / genetics*
  • Histidine Decarboxylase / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*
  • Receptors, Histamine H3 / genetics*

Substances

  • Receptors, Histamine H3
  • Histamine N-Methyltransferase
  • Histidine Decarboxylase

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NO. 81173643), the National Science Foundation for Post-doctoral Scientists of China (NO. 2013M532122) and the Science Foundation of Kunming General Hospital of Chengdu Military Region (NO. 2012YG10). The website of NSFC is http://www.most.gov.cn/index.htm. There is no website of Kunming General Hospital of Chengdu Military Region for military limitation. All these funds are received by corresponding author Gui-Li Xu, while the funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.