Backgrounds and aims: The renin-angiotensin (RA) system including angiotensinogen (AGT), angiotensin I and angiotensin II influences the regulation of cell proliferation, angiogenesis and inflammation. AGT-20 A/C polymorphism is associated with the plasma AGT and angiotensin II levels. The aim of this study was to clarify the association of AGT-20 A/C polymorphism with susceptibility to gastric cancer and peptic ulcer in Japanese.
Methods: We assessed the AGT-20 A/C polymorphism in Helicobacter pylori-positive patients with gastric cancer (n = 135), gastric ulcer (n = 148) and duodenal ulcer (n = 113) and controls (n = 292) consisting of H.pylori-positive gastritis alone (n = 160) and H.pylori-negative subjects (n = 132).
Results: The age- and sex-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of AGT-20 A/C and C/C genotypes relative to A/A genotype for gastric cancer risk were 1.695 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.035-2.777] and 2.259 (95% CI: 0.351-14.533), respectively. The AGT-20 C allele increased the gastric cancer risk (OR: 1.685, 95% CI: 1.037-2.736), especially the intestinal type of gastric cancer (OR: 1.792, 95% CI: 1.040-3.089). However, there was no association between the AGT-20 polymorphism and susceptibility to peptic ulcer.
Conclusions: The carriage of AGT-20 C allele was associated with an increased risk for H.pylori-related gastric cancer development in Japanese, indicating that the RA system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer.