A MGMT Enhancer Variant is Associated with Glioma Susceptibility and Progression

The O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) plays a significant role in the pathogenesis and progression of glioma. Numerous enhancer variants, including those within the MGMT gene region and adjacent gene regions, have been found to be associated with cancer development and progression. We investigated the significance of enhancer variants located in the intergenic spacer far from the MGMT gene in relation to glioma susceptibility and progression. We recruited 402 glioma patients and 654 controls for this investigation using Sequenom MassARRAY genotyping. We identified a significantly elevated risk of glioma among carriers with the rs11016629 TG genotype compared to those with the GG genotype (OR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.03-1.93; P = 0.034). Subgroup analyses revealed that rs11016629 was significantly associated with glioma risk in subjects with WHO grade IV tumor (OR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.07-2.38; P = 0.023) and high-grade glioma (OR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.11-2.21; P = 0.011). Patients who underwent gross total resection with TG/TT genotypes exhibited a 2.66-fold higher risk of disease progression than GG carriers (HR = 2.66, 95% CI 1.23-5.79; P = 0.014). The study demonstrates that a MGMT enhancer variant rs11016629 contributes to both glioma susceptibility and progression.