Functional polymorphisms in the CD44 gene and acute myeloid leukemia cancer risk in a Chinese population

CD44 is such one adhesion molecule that mediates interactions between acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells and stromal. It has been demonstrated that CD4 plays a critical role in AML development. However, studies of functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CD44 gene have not touched upon AML. This case-control study probed the contribution of functional SNPs in CD44 gene to AML susceptibility in eastern Chinese population. Five representative SNPs of CD44 (rs10836347C>T, rs13347C>T, rs1425802A>G, rs11821102G>A, rs713330T>C) were opted and genotyped in 421 AML patients and 461 healthy subjects and the association with risk of AML was estimated by logistic regression. Moreover, the potential role of rs13347C > T in AML was further explored. Compared with the rs13347CC genotype, CT carriers had a significant increase in AML susceptibility (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.32-2.34), TT carriers had a further increased risk of AML (OR = 2.67; 95% CI = 1.69-4.21). Furthermore, our transient transfection assay and Western blot results demonstrated that the presence of rs13347T allele led to more CD44 expression. Yet, there exists no significant difference in genotype frequencies of the other four sites between cases and controls. Above findings suggest that rs13347C>T in 3'UTR of CD44 may be a genetic modifier for developing AML.