Chromosome 4q31 locus in COPD is also associated with lung cancer

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the single greatest risk factor for lung cancer in smokers and is found in 50-90% of lung cancer cases. The link between COPD and lung cancer may stem in part from the matrix remodelling and repair processes underlying COPD, and the development of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) that underlies lung carcinogenesis. The Hedgehog-interacting protein (HHIP), which mediates the epithelial response (EMT) to smoking, has been implicated in COPD and lung cancer. Recent genome-wide and candidate gene studies of COPD implicate genetic variants on the chromosomal 4q31 (HHIP/glycophorin A (GYPA)) locus. In a case-control study of smokers with normal lung function, COPD and lung cancer (subphenotyped for COPD), we show the GG genotype of the rs 1489759 HHIP single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and the CC genotype of the rs 2202507 GYPA SNP confers a "protective" effect on COPD (OR 0.59, p = 0.006 for HHIP and OR = 0.65, p = 0.006 for GYPA) and lung cancer (OR = 0.70 (p = 0.05) for HHIP and OR 0.70 (p = 0.02) for GYPA). This study suggests that, in smokers, genetic variants of the 4q31 locus conferring a protective effect for COPD are also protective in lung cancer. We conclude that genetic susceptibility to lung cancer includes COPD-related gene variants.