Association between vascular endothelial growth factor gene polymorphisms and bladder cancer risk

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to a number of cancers. The present case-controlled study aimed to investigate the correlation between VEGF gene polymorphisms and the risk of bladder cancer. The effects of VEGF polymorphisms were investigated in patients with bladder cancer and healthy controls in our hospital between May, 2008 and May, 2013. Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 480 patients with bladder cancer and 420 healthy controls. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique was used to detect three VEGF gene polymorphisms (rs3025039 C/T, rs833052 C/A and rs1570360 G/A) in these subjects. The genotype and allele frequencies were also investigated in order to determine their association with stage, grade and histological type of bladder cancer, as well as smoking status. Our results suggested that the frequency of the rs833052 AA genotype was significantly higher in patients with bladder cancer [odds ratio (OR)=1.75; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05-2.92; P=0.03] compared to that in healthy controls. There was no significant correlation between the rs833052 AA genotype and bladder cancer stage, grade or histological type, whereas smoking was identified as a risk factor for bladder cancer in the included patients (OR=1.48; 95% CI: 1.13-1.93; P=0.004). The rs3025039 and rs1570360 gene polymorphisms were not found to be correlated with the risk of bladder cancer or its progression. In conclusion, our results suggested that the VEGF rs833052 C/A polymorphism may be associated with a modest increase in the risk of bladder cancer in Chinese individuals.