APC rs459552: D1822V, Diet, and Colorectal Health

5 days ago

3 min read

Cells need signals that tell them when to grow—and mechanisms that keep those signals under control. The APC gene helps regulate this balance through its effects on beta-catenin, a protein involved in cell growth and tissue renewal [R].

APC rs459552 has attracted interest because researchers have studied whether it changes the relationship between diet and colorectal cancer susceptibility. One study reported particularly interesting findings involving fiber and calcium intake [R].

You can explore your result in the free APC GeneExplorer report.

Woman clutching her stomach in pain beside an inset of a stomach with a tumor, suggesting gastric cancer.

What Does the APC Gene Do?

APC produces a tumor suppressor protein that helps prevent cells from growing and dividing in an uncontrolled way. One of its central jobs involves the Wnt signaling pathway, which helps coordinate cell proliferation and differentiation.

APC joins other proteins in a complex that controls beta-catenin levels. When beta-catenin is no longer needed, this complex helps break it down, keeping growth-related signaling under control [R].

What Is APC rs459552?

Rs459552 determines which amino acid appears at position 1822 of the APC protein:

Aspartic acid, abbreviated Asp or D.
Valine, abbreviated Val or V.

You may also encounter p.Val1822Asp in clinical databases. This describes the same variable position using valine as the reference amino acid, so the direction of the name is reversed [R].

Genotype	Protein forms at position 1822
AA	Asp/Asp
AT	Asp/Val
TT	Val/Val

APC, Fiber, and Calcium: What Did the Study Find?

A 2007 Portuguese study examined 196 people with colorectal cancer and 200 controls, investigating diet alongside D1822V.

Researchers grouped people carrying the Val form together—AT and TT in forward-strand notation.

Within that group, higher dietary intake was associated with:

Dietary comparison	Reported colorectal cancer association
Higher fiber intake (AT and TT)	Approximately 50% lower odds
Higher calcium intake (AT and TT)	Approximately 49% lower odds

Source: [R].

The study was observational, rather than a trial assigning people different diets. Its results suggest a possible gene–diet interaction, but do not establish a genotype-specific fiber target or calcium supplement dose.

Because AT and TT were analyzed together, the findings also do not establish greater protection for TT.

Does rs459552 Predict Colorectal Cancer?

The broader evidence does not support a simple high-risk or protective label. A Scottish case-control study investigating D1822V alongside lifestyle and dietary factors found no overall association between the variant and colorectal cancer in the population studied [R].

A later 2013 multicenter investigation included rs459552 data from 8,654 cases and 7,731 controls. It did not confirm the colorectal cancer association previously reported in a Swedish population [R].

How Is This Different From Familial Adenomatous Polyposis?

Certain pathogenic APC variants cause familial adenomatous polyposis, or FAP, an inherited condition involving numerous colorectal polyps and a substantially increased colorectal cancer risk [R]. Rs459552 is classified as benign for FAP by the ClinGen InSiGHT expert panel. It should not be described as an FAP-causing finding [R].

What Your APC Result Means for You

Rs459552 offers an accessible way to explore the intersection of cell-growth regulation, inherited variation, and nutrition research. Your result identifies which amino-acid forms you carry.

AA does not establish that fiber or calcium is less useful for you. An AT or TT result does not establish that diet offsets inherited cancer risk.

Personal history, family history, and appropriate screening remain important regardless of this marker.

Explore Your APC Result in GeneExplorer

APC illustrates how one gene can connect fundamental cell biology with research on everyday dietary exposures. D1822V provides a useful starting point for exploring that connection while understanding what the evidence actually measures.

Visit the free APC GeneExplorer report to explore your AA, AT, or TT result. You can analyze your existing raw DNA file in your browser to check whether rs459552 is available.