Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Lysyl oxidase (LOX) is an extracellular enzyme critical for the cross-linking of collagens and elastin. A single-nucleotide polymorphism of LOX G473A is associated with various diseases. This retrospective study investigated the association between LOX G473A polymorphism and susceptibility to ovarian cancer in the Han Chinese population. METHODS: The LOX variant G473A was detected by polymerase chain reaction—restriction fragment length polymorphism in patients with ovarian cancer and healthy control subjects. RESULTS: The frequencies of the LOX 473AA genotype and the A allele were significantly higher in patients with ovarian cancer (n = 318) than in control subjects (n = 406) (odds ratio [OR] 2.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.36, 3.87; OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.23, 2.00; respectively). The prevalence of the GA genotype, AA genotype and A allele were significantly higher in patients with more advanced stages of ovarian cancer compared with those with primary stage disease. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that LOX G473A polymorphism is a new risk factor for ovarian cancer and that LOX protein might be a possible therapeutic target in ovarian cancer.