WITHDRAWN: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma Plo12Ala polymorphism influences the susceptibility of a Japanese population to gastric cancer.

Objective. Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of gastric cancer (GC) cells and suppress gastric mucosal inflammation induced by Helicobacter pylori infection. The Plo12Ala polymorphism affects codon12 of the PPARgamma gene and alters its promoter activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of PPARgamma gene Plo12Ala polymorphism on the occurrence of (GC) and on the severity of H. pylori-induced gastritis in a Japanese population. Material and methods. The study included 215 patients with GC and 201 patients without GC as a control group. Plo12Ala polymorphism of PPARgamma was investigated by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in all of the subjects. The gastritis score of non-cancerous antral mucosa was calculated by the updated Sydney system. Results. The Plo12Ala genotype of PPARgamma had a significantly higher frequency in GC patients than in controls (OR = 2.43; 95% CI = 1.04-5.67). The Plo12Ala genotype was associated with an increased risk of non-cardiac GC (OR = 2.39; 95% CI = 1.02-5.65), lower-third GC (OR = 3.56; 95% CI = 1.31-9.71), advanced cancer (OR = 2.93; 95% CI = 1.13-7.58), and Lauren's intestinal cancer (OR = 2.94; 95% CI = 1.13-7.66). Among 151 GC subjects, the atrophy and metaplasia scores of the antral mucosa adjacent to cancer tended to be higher in those with the12Ala allele. Conclusions. Our data suggest that the 12Ala allele of PPARgamma may be associated with gastric mucosal atrophy in H. pylori-infected patients, and could increase the risk of GC in the Japanese population.