Data from Genetic Variation in <i>TYMS</i> in the One-Carbon Transfer Pathway Is Associated with Ovarian Carcinoma Types in the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium

Background: We previously reported the risks of ovarian carcinoma for common polymorphisms in one-carbon transfer genes. We sought to replicate associations for DPYD rs1801265, DNMT3A rs13420827, MTHFD1 rs1950902, MTHFS rs17284990, and TYMS rs495139 with risk of ovarian carcinoma overall and to use the large sample of assembled cases to investigate associations by histologic type.

Methods: Associations were evaluated in the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium, including 16 studies of 5,593 epithelial ovarian carcinoma cases and 9,962 controls of white non-Hispanic origin. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were adjusted for age and study site.

Results: The five polymorphisms were not associated with ovarian carcinoma overall (P_trend > 0.13); however, associations for the minor allele at TYMS rs495139 were observed for carcinomas of mucinous type (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.03-1.39; P = 0.02), clear cell type (OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.75-0.99; P = 0.04), and endometrioid type (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.81-0.99; P = 0.04; P_{heterogeneity} = 0.001). Restriction to low-grade mucinous carcinomas further strengthened the association for the mucinous type (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.07-1.62; P = 0.01). TYMS rs495139 was not associated with serous type (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.00-1.13; P = 0.05).

Conclusions: TYMS rs495139 may be associated with a differential risk of ovarian carcinoma types, indicating the importance of accurate histopathologic classification.

Impact: Biomarkers that distinguish ovarian carcinoma types are few, and TYMS rs495139 may provide a novel clue to type etiology. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(7); 1822–30. ©2010 AACR.