Association between epidermal growth factor (EGF) and EGF receptor gene polymorphisms and end-stage renal disease and acute renal allograft rejection in a Korean population

Purpose: Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been found to be associated with the development and repair mechanisms of several renal diseases. In this study, we hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in EGF or its receptor genes might have an association with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or acute renal allograft rejection (AR) in a Korean population. Methods: Three-hundred and forty seven recipients of the first renal transplants for ESRD, including 63 AR patients along with 289 healthy adults were included in the study. Five EGF gene SNPs (rs11568835, rs11568943, rs2237051, rs11569017, and rs3756261) and four EGFR gene SNPs (rs1140475, rs2293347, rs1050171, and rs6965469) were analyzed. The genotypes of these SNPs were analyzed using the AxiomTM genome-wide human assay. Statistical analysis was performed using SNPStats and Haploview version 4.2 software. Multiple logistic regression models (codominant, dominant, recessive, and Log-additive) were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI), and P value. Results: One SNP (rs11569017) in the EGF gene showed significant association with ESRD but not with AR. Another SNP (rs11568835) in the EGF gene showed significant association with susceptibility to AR but not with ESRD. One SNP (rs1050171) in the EGFR gene showed significant association with susceptibility to AR but not with ESRD. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that SNPs in the EGF and EGFR gene may be associated with the risk of ESRD and AR development in the Korean population.