Objective: To study the correlation between the long noncoding RNA HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) gene rs17720428 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and gastric cancer risk and prognosis. Methods: A case-control study was designed to assess the correlation between the HOTAIR rs17720428 SNP and gastric cancer risk in the Chinese Han population. The genotype of the HOTAIR rs17720428 locus was analyzed in 245 patients with gastric cancer and 245 healthy control subjects by Sanger sequencing. Results: The gastric cancer risk in patients with a G allele at the HOTAIR rs17720428 locus was 1.59 times higher than that in patients with a T allele (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16-2.17, p < 0.01). This SNP of HOTAIR rs17720428 locus was associated with an increased risk for developing gastric cancer in males (male: adjusted odds ratio = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.02-2.52, p = 0.04). Patients with the GG genotype at the HOTAIR rs17720428 locus had the lowest overall survival (OS) (16.4 months), followed by those with the TG (19.3 months) and TT (24.2 months) genotypes. The differences in OS were statistically significant among the different genotypes (p = 0.003). Conclusion: The HOTAIR rs17720428 SNP is correlated with the risk and prognosis of gastric cancer in the Chinese Han population. The presence of a G allele at this locus increases the risk of gastric cancer among males.
Keywords: HOX transcript antisense RNA; gastric cancer; long-chain noncoding RNA; single nucleotide polymorphism.