Nyanga, Albert
Mayo Clinic
Department of Internal Medicine, Mbingo Baptist Hospital, Bamenda, Cameroon.
Citations 1
Lower Allele Frequency of TERT -rs2242652 in Sub-Saharan African Populations Compared With American Populations and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk
Chotiprasidhi, Perapa , Umpierre, Viviana P. Gonzalez, Nartey, Yvonne Ayerki , Miller, H. K., Gefre, Adrienne F. , Sato-Espinoza, Karina , O'Brien, Daniel, Ma, Jun , Awuku, Yaw Asante , Agyei-Nkansah, Adwoa, Afihene, Mary , Bampoh, Sally, Ayawin, Joshua , Wang, Jun, Hou, Lifang , Hawkins, Claudia , Okeke, Edith, Akanmu, Alani Suleiman, Lesi, Olufunmilayo, Plymoth, Amelie , Nyanga, Albert, Nyah, Norah, Topazian, Mark, Kossick, Kimberlee , Boardman, Lisa A., Debes, José D. , Roberts, Lewis R. , Antwi, S. O., Wangensteen, Kirk J. , Antwi, Samuel O. , Agyei‐Nkansah, Adwoa , Gonzalez Umpierre, Viviana P, Miller, Hunter B , Agyei-Nkansah, Adwoa Afrakoma , Duah, Amoako , Asibey, Shadrack , Ayawin, Joshua , Wang, Jun , Zheng, Yinan , Hawkins, Claudia , Murphy, Robert , Imade, Godwin , Okeke, Edith , Akanmu, Alani , Nyanga, Albert , Topazian, Mark D , Kossick, Kimberlee , Debes, Jose D , Roberts, Lewis R , Wangensteen, Kirk J , Antwi, Samuel O , Nartey, Yvonne A , Hou, Lifang , Ma, Jun , Sato‐Espinoza, Karina , Duah, Amoako , Bampoh, Sally Afua , Asibey, Shadrack Osei , Zheng, Yinan , Murphy, Robert L.
JCO Global Oncology | March 31, 2026 | Volume: 12 | Issue: 3 | Pages: No page available
PURPOSE Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The higher incidence and earlier onset of HCC in sub-Saharan Africa suggest a potential role for a genetic predisposition. This study evaluated the association of TERT -rs2242652-(A), a variant linked to lower HCC risk, with HCC in populations from Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon, compared with a population from the United States. METHODS The study included 537 patients with HCC: United States (n = 348), Ghana (n = 79), Nigeria (n = 43), and Cameroon (n = 67). The control group had 2,872 cancer-free individuals: United States (n = 2,399), Ghana (n = 323), Nigeria (n = 85), and Cameroon (n = 65). Whole-exome sequencing was conducted using germline DNA, and data for TERT -rs2242652 were analyzed. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were calculated using unconditional logistic regression. Chi-square tests assessed protective allele frequencies. RESULTS In the US cohort, TERT -rs2242652 was significantly associated with lower HCC risk (OR, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.58 to 0.96]; P = .02), with an allele frequency of 18.8% (15.4% in HCC cases v 19.3% in controls). In the combined sub-Saharan African population, no significant association was observed, but there was a trend toward decreased HCC risk (OR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.53 to 1.22]; P = .29), with an allele frequency of 12.2% (10.6% in HCC cases v 12.9% in controls). Separate analyses of Ghanaian, Nigerian, and Cameroonian populations showed similar nonsignificant trends. The protective allele frequency in the combined African populations was significantly lower than in the US cohort ( P < .0001). CONCLUSION In sub-Saharan African populations, there was a lower frequency of the HCC protective allele TERT -rs2242652 compared with European Americans. These findings underscore the importance of multiethnic genetic studies in understanding population differences in HCC risk and developing prevention strategies.