Glutathione S-transferase O2 gene rs157077 polymorphism predicts response to transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma

Some genetic alterations of glutathione S-transferase omega 2 (GSTO2) have been reported to increase the risk of many malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, their prognostic capability remained unresolved in HCC patients treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). To fill this gap, we genotyped three well-defined polymorphisms in GSTO2 to assess whether they can predict overall survival among 228 HCC patients under TACE treatment. The median follow-up time and survival time were 22.0 months (range 3.0–60.0) and 19.2 months, respectively. Only one of three polymorphisms examined, rs157077, was significantly associated with overall survival of TACE-treated HCC (P = 0.003), and its mutant allele conferred a higher risk of death than its wild homozygotes (hazard ratio 1.58, 95 % confidence interval 1.17–2.14). Moreover, carriers of this mutant allele had higher tissue GSTO2 expression, reinforcing the prognostic capability of GSTO2 rs157077 for HCC, especially in combination with age and tumor–node–metastasis (TNM) stage. Taken together, we for the first time provided evidence supporting the prognostic role of GSTO2 in the progression of TACE-treated HCC.