Epidemiology and Health

Original Article

Dietary mercury intake, the IL23R rs10889677 polymorphism, and the risk of gastric cancer in a Korean population: a hospital-based case-control study: Ji Hyun Kim, Madhawa Gunathilake, Jeonghee Lee, Il Ju Choi, Young-Il Kim, Jeongseon Kim; Epidemiol Health. 2024;46:e2024051. Published online May 21, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2024051

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Abstract Summary PDF Supplementary Material

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Mercury can stimulate immune responses through T helper 17 (Th17). The gene IL23R is a key factor in Th17 function, which may also contribute to digestive tract diseases. The aim of this study was to identify the associations between dietary mercury and gastric cancer (GC) and to investigate whether the IL23R rs10889677 polymorphism modifies those associations.

METHODS

This case-control study included 377 patients with GC and 756 healthy controls. Dietary mercury intake (total mercury and methylmercury) was assessed using a dietary heavy metal database incorporated into the food frequency questionnaire. IL23R genetic polymorphism rs10889677 (A>C) was genotyped. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using unconditional logistic regression models with adjustments for potential confounders.

RESULTS

A higher dietary methylmercury intake was associated with an elevated risk of GC (OR for the highest vs. lowest tertile [T3 vs. T1], 2.02; 95% CI, 1.41 to 2.91; p for trend <0.001). The IL23R rs10889677 reduced the risk of GC in individuals who carried at least 1 minor allele (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.83; p=0.001; AC/CC vs. AA). Individuals with a C allele exhibited a lower susceptibility to GC through methylmercury intake than those with the AA genotype (OR for the T3 of methylmercury and AA carriers, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.77 to 4.87; and OR for the T3 of methylmercury and AC/CC genotype, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.76 to 2.21; p-interaction=0.013).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that a genetic polymorphism, rs10889677 in IL23R, plays a role in modifying the association between dietary methylmercury intake and the risk of GC.

Summary

Korean summary
본 연구는 식이 수은과 위암 간의 연관성을 탐색하고, microRNA-lethal-7의 예측된 결합 부위 내에 위치한 IL23R rs10889677 다형성이 이러한 연관성에 영향을 미칠 수 있는지 규명하고자 합니다. 식이 메틸수은 섭취량에 비례하여 위암 발생 위험이 증가하는 경향이 확인되었고, IL23R rs10889677 다형성은 식이 메틸수은으로 의한 위암 발생 위험을 조절하는 인자로 작용할 수 있음을 시사합니다.

Key Message
This study aimed to investigate the associations between dietary mercury and gastric cancer (GC) and to determine whether the IL23R rs10889677 polymorphism, located within a predicted binding site for microRNA-lethal-7, may modify these associations. A higher dietary methylmercury intake was associated with an increased risk of GC, while the IL23R rs10889677 polymorphism may modify the detrimental effect of dietary methylmercury on gastric carcinogenesis.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Replication Study and Meta‐Analysis of the Contribution of Seven Genetic Polymorphisms in Immune‐Related Genes to the Risk of Gastric and Colorectal Cancers
Weiguang Zhou, Siqi Yuan, Wenqiang Kang, Xiangyuan Deng, Hang Zhou, Jiangyi Ruan, Xianhong Feng, Meifang Qi, Bifeng Chen
International Journal of Immunogenetics.2025; 52(1): 39. CrossRef

Review

Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention.: Keun Young Yoo, Hai Rim Shin; Korean J Epidemiol. 2003;25(1):1-15.

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Abstract PDF: Abstract
Cancer is one of the main cause of death worldwide. There are about 10 million new cases every year, and more than 6 million persons will die of the disease in a year. Many factors are responsible for the recent increase in cancer. Changing lifestyles, in particular as regards tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking and diet, also play a crucial part. Several different types of scientific studies contribute to identifying the causes of human cancer. IARC's prestigious series of Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans publishes authoritative reports on the risks posed by potentially carcinogenic agents and exposures. Most cancers are thought to be caused by factors related to lifestyle and environment. In particular, tobacco, chronic infections and diet are involved in a substantial number of new cancers. Tobacco is responsible for about 15% of all cancers throughout the world. Chronic infections with viruses, bacteria and parasites are responsible for 16% of all cancers. It has been hypothesized that 30% of all cancers could be prevented by appropriate diet and physical activity. Other known causes of cancer, such as occupational, genetic, and reproductive factors, plays a lesser role in the global burden of cancer. Many types of cancer seem to be cluster in families, occurring more often in close relatives of affected individuals. The risks that a person inheriting a defect in a person inheriting a defect in a cancer susceptibility gene will develop a certain type of cancer must be estimated, and the role of environmental factors in modifying these risks must be ascertains. Researches into the causes of cancer has revealed how many of the most common cancers can be prevented. Detection of many forms of the disease at an early stage can greatly improve the prospects for effective treatment, reducing deaths and enhancing quality of life.; Summary

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