Associations of non-metastatic cells 1 gene polymorphisms with lymph node metastasis risk of gastric cancer in Northern Chinese population

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter regions of non-metastatic cells 1 gene (NME1) may attribute to the changing of promoter activities. In addition, high NME1 protein levels are correlated with negative lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer. This study evaluated possible associations between SNPs in NME1 gene and gastric cancer susceptibility, clinicopathological parameters, or survival. We obtained formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from 404 gastric cancer patients and blood samples from 404 controls. SNPs were genotyped by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A significant correlation between SNPs and lymph node metastases risk was found. Patients carrying TT genotype in rs16949649, AA genotype in rs3760468, TT genotype in rs3760469, CC genotype in rs2302254, and GG genotype in rs34214448 were correlated to greater numbers of lymph node metastases (P = 0.023 in rs16949649; P = 0.015 in rs3760468; P = 0.043 in rs3760469; P = 0.008 in rs2302254; and P = 0.021 in rs34214448, respectively). Moreover, the haplotype TATCG were associated with positive lymph node metastasis (P = 0.039) and lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.048) compared to the haplotype CTGTT carriers. Furthermore, patients carrying AA genotype in rs3760468 or the haplotype TATCG had poor survival in T4 subgroup (P = 0.038 in univariate and P = 0.014 in multivariate analysis for rs3760468, and P = 0.017 in univariate and P = 0.012 in multivariate analysis for TATCG, respectively). In conclusion, SNPs in NME1 gene may play an important role in regulating lymph node metastasis and, thus, affect survival in T4 subgroup of gastric cancer in a Northern Chinese population.