Rs4911414

rs4911414 is a SNP near the ASIP (agouti signaling protein) gene on chromosome 20.

This SNP is one of a tightly-linked pair that increases the likelihood of an individual being prone to sun sensitivity, in other words, freckles and sunburn, based on a study of 6,000+ Caucasians (5,000+ Icelanders + 1,000+ Dutch). The odds ratios, presumably on a dominant basis, and at least in the largest population (Icelanders) for "freckles and burns vs. no freckles and tans" for the haplotype pair rs1015362(G) - rs4911414(T) is 3.91 (CI: 2.54-6.03) for males and 2.42 (CI: 1.52-3.86) for females, with an overall p=0.051.

Based on a study by the same authors of 4,000+ skin cancer patients, this haplotype was seen to confer significant increased risk for cutaneous malignant melanoma (odds ratio 1.45, p = 1.2 x 10-9) as well as basal cell carcinoma (odds ratio 1.33, p = 1.2 x 10-6).

Melanoma susceptibility variants on chromosome 20q11.22 are associated with pigmentary traits and the risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer.

Web-based, participant-driven studies yield novel genetic associations for common traits.