Thymidine phosphorylase gene variant, platelet counts and survival in gastrointestinal cancer patients treated by fluoropyrimidines

The predictive value of thymidine phosphorylase gene variants (TP, also called platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor) and thrombocytosis were controversial and worthy of further study in gastrointestinal cancer (GIC) patients. We screened all of the common missense single nucleotide polymorphisms (MAF ≥ 0.1) in fluoropyrimidines (FU) pathway genes (including TP, TS, ENOSF1 and DPD). Three of them were selected and genotyped using Sequenom MassARRAY in 141 GIC patients. TP expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Our aim was to evaluate the prognostic significance of studied genes and platelet counts in GIC patients. Multivariate analyses indicated in rs11479-T allele carriers, platelet counts negatively correlated to overall survival. In addition, T allele of TP: rs11479 was associated with higher TP expression in cancer tissues. We suggest TP: rs11479 variant combined with platelet counts may be useful prognostic makers in GIC patients receiving first-line FU chemotherapy and thrombopoietin factor should be used with caution in the rs11479 T allele bearing patients.