Variations in TAS1R taste receptor gene family modify food intake and gastric cancer risk in a Korean population

SCOPE
Human taste receptor type 1 (TAS1R, T1R) gene family mediates the perception of umami and sweet tastes and regulates metabolism. This study investigated whether variants in the TAS1R are associated with food intake and susceptibility to gastric cancer (GC).

METHODS AND RESULTS
A total of 1,131 Koreans including 377 GC cases were analyzed to determine the dietary intake and genotype for 25 variants in TAS1R genes. Among the genotyped polymorphisms, 6 loci with a minor allele frequency > 0.05 were tested for an association with dietary intake and GC risk. Findings suggest that TAS1R polymorphisms were associated with a variety of food intake that is beyond the known T1R-taste association. Furthermore, differential consumption for cigarettes and citrus-fruits by TAS1R genetic variants may be linked to GC risk in males and females, respectively. Additionally, in males, TAS1R1 rs34160967 heterozygote showed an increased risk of GC (OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.10-2.09), independent of dietary intake. However, this GC-risk effect of TAS1R variants was not evident in females.

CONCLUSIONS
Genetic variants in TAS1R were associated with dietary consumption, which may be associated with GC risk. TAS1R1 rs34160967 may also modify the risk for GC independent of diet in Korean males. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.