ABSTRACT
Background/Aims: Cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCA) has a devastating prognosis and markers enabling a precise prediction of the clinical outcome have long remained scarce. Recently, it has been demonstrated that genotype distribution of several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes that modulate G protein-signal transduction and apoptosis can serve as helpful predictive parameters in various carcinomas. We here aimed at extending the panel of SNPs suitable for predicting the outcome of CCA. Methodology: Forty Caucasian patients with extrahepatic CCA and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy white Caucasians were genotyped to elucidate putative associations between clinical outcome and genotypes of the three following SNPs: G protein β 3 (GNB3) 825C>T, B-cell-lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) -938C>A, and myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) -386C>G. Results: Patients homozygous for the C allele of the GNB3 825C>T polymorphism exhibited a significant prolonged overall survival compared with patients displaying the CT or TT genotype (median survival [months]: 31 vs. 13 vs. 7; p < .05) and also showed lower bilirubin serum levels. Additionally, the CC genotype of the BCL2-938C>A polymorphism was associated with higher GLDH serum activities (U/l; 29.8 ± 7.1 vs. 11.4 ± 4.3 vs. 5.6 ± 1.7 comparing CC vs. CA vs. AA; p < .05). Genotype distributions for all SNPs were not significantly different in patients vs. controls. Conclusions: GNB3 825C>T SNP may be a novel independent prognostic marker for patients suffering from extrahepatic CCA with the CC genotype to be associated with a favorable clinical outcome. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these results and reveal additional functional SNP effects.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This study was supported by the Wilhelm Laupitz foundation. None of the authors has any conflict of interest.
ABBREVIATIONS | ||
Cholangiocellular carcinoma | = | (CCA) |
Single-nucleotide polymorphism | = | (SNP) |
G protein β3 | = | (GNB3) |
B-cell-lymphoma-2 | = | (Bcl-2) |
Myeloid cell leukemia-1 | = | (Mcl-1) |
Primary sclerosing cholangitis | = | (PSC) |
Cyclo-adenosinemonophosphate | = | (cAMP) |
B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia | = | (B-CLL) |