Polymorphisms in folic acid metabolism genes do not associate with cancer cachexia in Japanese gastrointestinal patients

We used clinical data from Iga General Hospital to examine the association between polymorphisms in MTR (methionine synthase) A2756G (rs1805087), MTRR (methionine synthase reductase) His595Tyr (rs10380), MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) C677T (rs1801133), MTHFR A1298C (rs1801131) and SHMT (serine hydroxymethyltransferase) C1420T (rs1979277), which are genes involved in folate metabolism, and the risk of weight loss in patients with gastrointestinal cancers, with the aim of establishing personalized palliative care for each patient based on genetic information. The data from 59 patients (37 males and 22 females) with gastrointestinal cancers who visited the outpatient clinic for cancer chemotherapy and palliative care at Iga General Hospital from December 2011 to August 2015 were analyzed. There was no significant association between the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the folate metabolizing genes examined and weight loss defined as weight loss of more than 5 percent or more than 10 percent during the first 6 months after initiation of chemotherapy. We did not detect any significant association between any of the SNPs examined and overall survival of patients. The present study indicated that these SNPs have relatively limited or no roles in the genesis of cachexia in patients with gastrointestinal cancers; however, further investigations into the roles of these folate metabolizing genes in the context of cancer palliative care, from clinical, biological and epidemiological viewpoints are warranted.