The effect of FTO rs9939609 polymorphism on the association between colorectal cancer and dietary fiber

Soroor Fathi; Mina Ahmadzadeh; Mahsa Vahdat; Maryam Afsharfar; Zahra Roumi; Naeemeh Hassanpour Ardekanizadeh; Soheila Shekari; Seyed Mohammad Poorhosseini; Maryam Gholamalizadeh; Sepideh Abdollahi; Elham Kheyrani; Saeid Doaei

doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.891819

The effect of FTO rs9939609 polymorphism on the association between colorectal cancer and dietary fiber

Front Nutr. 2022 Oct 3:9:891819. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.891819. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
² Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
³ Aboozar Children's Medical Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
⁴ Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.
⁵ Master of Science Student of Department of Nutrition, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
⁶ Torbat Jam Faculty of Medical Sciences, Torbat Jam, Iran.
⁷ Department of Nutrition, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
⁸ Genomic Research Center, Department of Medical Genetic, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁹ Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
¹⁰ Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
¹¹ Taban Medical Genetic Laboratory, Tehran, Iran.
¹² Research Center of Health and Environment, School of Health, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
¹³ Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Background: Gene polymorphisms may explain the controversy on the association between colorectal cancer (CRC) and dietary fibers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) rs9939609 polymorphism on the association between colorectal cancer and dietary fiber.

Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 160 CRC cases and 320 healthy controls in Tehran, Iran. The participants' food intake was assessed using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The frequency of rs9939609 FTO polymorphism in the case and control groups was determined using the tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation (tetra-ARMS) method.

Results: In the participants with the TT genotype of the FTO rs9939609, the cases had higher BMI and lower intake of dietary fiber compared to the controls (P = 0.01). Among A allele carriers of FTO rs9939609 polymorphism, the cases had higher BMI (P = 0.04) and lower intake of total fiber (P = 0.02) and soluble fiber (P = 0.02). An inverse association was found between CRC and dietary fiber intake among those with the AA/AT FTO rs9939609 genotype after adjusting for age, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, BMI, and calorie intake (OR = 0.9, CI 95%:0.84-0.92, P < 0.05).

Conclusion: This study found a link between higher dietary fiber consumption and a lower risk of CRC in A-allele carriers of FTO rs9939609 polymorphism. Future studies are needed to identify the underlying mechanisms of the association between CRC and dietary fibers in people with different FTO genotypes.

Keywords: FTO gene; colorectal cancer; dietary fiber; genotype; polymorphism.