Assessment of STAT4 Variants and Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Latin Americans and Europeans

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent and fatal type of liver cancer with various risk factors. This study examines the connection between a specific genetic variant, STAT4 rs7574865, and HCC risk in Latin American and European populations. The results reveal no general association between this genetic variant and HCC in the studied groups. This study underscores the significance of researching diverse populations to gain a better understanding of the broader influence of genetic factors on HCC risk, which may aid in developing more effective strategies for identifying and managing high-risk individuals. ABSTRACT: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. The STAT4 rs7574865 genetic variant has been associated with an increased risk of developing HCC in Asian populations. However, this association has not been studied in Latin America and is poorly assessed in European populations. This case-control study investigated the association between STAT4 rs7574865 and HCC risk in these populations. We evaluated DNA samples from seven medical institutions across six Latin American countries and one Dutch institution in 1060 individuals (344 HCC and 716 controls). STAT4 rs7574865 SNP was genotyped using TaqMan-genotyping assay and analyzed using logistic regression. We found no significant association between the homozygous risk allele (G) of STAT4 and HCC development in either population, with odds ratios (OR) for GG versus TT of 0.85 (CI: 0.48–1.52, p = 0.58) and 0.81 (CI: 0.34–1.93, p = 0.67) for Latin Americans and Europeans respectively. No correlation was found between the risk allele and HCC based on underlying liver disease. However, we found that Latin Americans of European ancestry were more likely to carry the risk allele. Our results suggest that the STAT4 SNP rs7574865 does not influence the risk of developing HCC in Latin American or European populations, highlighting the importance of evaluating genetic risk factors in various ethnic groups and understanding the possible influence of ancestry on the genetic basis of disease.