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A British study found that men who have two or more copies of the “Celtic gene” are 11 times more likely to develop liver cancer.
The gene, a mutation of the p.C282Y gene, is called its known name because it is more common in people of British Celtic descent.
It causes a condition called hemochromatosis, which is an unhealthy buildup of iron in the blood, which scientists say increases the risk of liver cancer.
More than seven percent of men carrying the defective gene developed the fatal disease by the age of 75 in a detailed study, while the rate in the general population was only 0.6 percent.
Scientists have said that as many as 175,000 men and boys in Britain have inherited genes from their European ancestors.
The women also carried the gene, but the study found that they had no risk of developing cancer in the study and also had hemochromatosis to a lesser extent.
Warning signs that someone might have a Celtic gene include fatigue, muscle weakness, and joint pain, and can be diagnosed with a quick blood test.
Scientists at the University of Exeter analyzed information on 1,294 men carrying the Celtic gene, at least one from England, Scotland and Wales, using data stored in the British Biobank.
Twenty-one of these men developed liver cancer during the nine-year period examined, and 14 of them died from the disease.
The figures were adjusted to show the risk of developing the disease in those who had at least two copies of the gene, to give a figure of 7.2%.
Scientists also followed 1,596 women carrying the genes, but found that the genes did not significantly affect their risk of developing liver cancer.
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They said that this may be due to the fact that women lose iron during menstruation and during childbirth, and therefore it is unlikely to reach harmful levels in their bodies, although some suffer from it. hemochromatosis.
The research has been published in the prestigious journal JAMA.
Professor David Melzer, the public health expert who led the research, said: “Sadly, men with defective hemochromatosis genes die from liver cancer for many years, but it was thought that it was. was rare. Cancer, precisely, we were shocked to find that more than seven percent of men with two defective genes are likely to develop liver cancer before the age of 75, especially since the UK has the second highest rate of these defective genes in the world.
“Fortunately, most of these cancers can be prevented with early treatment,” he added. Donated blood can be used during routine treatment of hemochromatosis in other patients, so early diagnosis would be an advantage. “
Excess iron is stored by the liver when the body cannot use it, and the chemical – a heavy metal – is known to be toxic in high concentrations.
It has been observed to directly damage DNA, which can lead to mutations or cell death, and can also inhibit tumor suppressor genes that help eliminate early genetic errors, which can turn into cancer.
Scientists said their results suggest early diagnostic tests to detect those with faulty genes.
Dr Janice Atkins, a researcher at the University of Exeter and first author of the article, warned that defective genes are “relatively common” in people of European descent.
“Unfortunately, hemochromatosis is often diagnosed too late,” she said. “Early diagnosis can prevent many unnecessary diseases.”
A study published in the British Medical Journal last year warned that defective genes quadruple the risk of developing liver disease.
Liver cancer sometimes only causes symptoms in its late stages and is difficult to treat, which means it is difficult to diagnose early.
Source: Daily Mail
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