A complex interaction of host genetic and environmental factors may be relevant in the development of Helicocobacter pylori-related gastric
carcinogenesis. We investigated the effect of
vascular endothelial growth factor (
VEGF) gene polymorphisms on the risk of
gastric cancer (GC) and
peptic ulcer diseases in a Japanese population. The G1612A(rs10434) and C936T(rs3025039) polymorphisms in the
3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) of
VEGF gene were genotyped in a total of 844 subjects including 385 GC, 143
ulcer including 98
gastric ulcer (GU), 45
duodenal ulcer (DU), and 316 nonulcer subjects. The 1612A carrier held a significantly higher risk of GC when compared to both noncancer and nonulcer (overall noncancer vs. GC; OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.17-2.21, P = 0.0038, nonulcer vs. GC; OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.07-2.22, P = 0.0197). The 1612A carrier was more closely associated with an increased risk of noncardiac
cancer (OR = 1.64, 95% CI = 0.17-2.21, P = 0.0038), lower third
cancer (OR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.30-3.00, P = 0.002), and Lauren's diffuse-type
cancer (OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.24-2.46, P = 0.001), while the same genotype was not associated with the progression of GC. The C936T genotype was not associated with a risk of GC and its progression. Both the G1612A and C936T genotypes were not associated with the risk of
peptic ulcer diseases. Our data suggest that the G1612A, but not C936T polymorphisms in the 3'-UTR of
VEGF gene is associated with the susceptibility to GC in the Japanese population.