Analysis of correlation between RAD51 172G/T polymorphism and colorectal cancer in the Polish population

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cancer worldwide. Much attention has recently been paid to the epigenetic features of CRC. Homologous recombination repair (HRR) is a biochemical pathway that plays a crucial role in maintaining genome integrity through the repair of double-strand breaks (DBS). RAD51 recombinase is widely considered a key enzyme in HRR. Genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are a significant type of genetic variation. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the association between the occurrence of individual genotypes/alleles of the RAD51 172G/T polymorphism (rs1801321) and the risk of CRC.Materials and methods: The material used for DNA isolation was peripheral blood from patients at the Department of General and Colorectal Surgery, Medical University of Lodz. The study recruited patients (n = 188) with histologically confirmed colorectal cancer. The control group consisted of undiagnosed individuals (n = 200), matched for age and gender, without a family history of cancer among first-degree relatives.Results: No statistically significant association was found between the frequency of the assessed alleles/genotypes and the presence of CRC. The analysis also showed that the 127G/T variant of the RAD51 gene was not statistically significantly associated with the development of colorectal cancer.Discussion: The 127G/T polymorphism of the RAD51 gene appears to be an unpromising marker for colorectal cancer. However, new observations regarding the variant in the distal promoter may open up prospects for future research on molecular markers.Conclusions: The study results indicate no association between the RAD51 172G/T polymorphism and the risk of CRC. Therefore, there is a need for further research in the area of selected polymorphisms in CRC.