Abstract for presentation at 11th International Congress of Human Genetics

The aim of this work was to verify: 1. if there is a higher frequency of GERD and cancer in general among first degree relatives of GERD and EC patients; 2. if there is any influence of sex and ethnic group on the occurrence of the patients’ diseases; 3. if some environmental factor could be involved in the GERD etiology. We studied 230 patients with GERD and EC, and 230 controls, from two hospitals (Paulista State and Marilia Universities, SP, Brazil). The classification of esophagitis used was that of SAVARY-MILLER. The patients were classified into 3 groups: Group I, with GERD; Group II, with EC; Group III, controls. Statistical analysis was done using the SAS V.8.2 program. Among the patients, 79,10% reported first degree relatives with GERD and 9.71%, with cancer in general. In the controls, the frequencies were 1.30% and 1.30%, respectively. Comparing Groups I x II x III, an association has been found between the groups and the presence or not of cancers in the relatives (X²=14. 89, GL=2, P=0.0006). The differences between the frequencies of GERD and cancer in the patients’ and controls’ families were significant (X²=7.814; GL=1, P=0.0052). Among the GERD patients, relatives with cancer occurred more frequently in males than females and Whites than Non-Whites (respectively, P<0.05; OR=2.88 [1.27; 6.55]; and P<0.05, OR=2.62 [1.58; 4.34]. Considering the presence or not of esophageal diseases in the patients, univariate logistic regression analysis was carried out. The most important environmental variable found was the ingestion of red meet (X² = 6.5503, GL=1, P=0.0105). This study shows some evidence of familial aggregation of GERD and cancer in general in first degree relatives of patients with GERD and EC. CNPq.