title: Interleukin-4 gene, but not the interleukin-1 beta gene polymorphism, is associated with oral cancer.
abstract: We aimed to evaluate whether polymorphisms of the interleukin-4 (IL-4) gene promoter and intron 3 regions, and polymorphisms of the IL-1 beta gene promoter and exon 5 regions are associated with oral cancer. This study included 130 patients with oral cancer and 105 age-matched healthy controls who lived in the same area as the patients. Each genetic polymorphism was typed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based restriction analysis. We then compared the genotype distribution and allelic frequencies of each polymorphism between the oral cancer patients and the controls. The CC homozygote genotype of the IL-4 gene promoter -590 region differed significantly between the patients with oral cancer and the controls (odds ratio (OR)=6.0, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.2-30.7, chi-square test, P=0.044). No significant difference in either the genotype distribution or the allelic frequencies of the IL-1 beta gene polymorphisms was observed between patients with oral cancer and controls. The IL-4 gene -590 C/T polymorphism is associated with oral cancer and is a suitable genetic marker for screening for oral cancer. However, whether the -590 C/T polymorphism of the IL4 gene plays a role in oral cancer remains unclear. Further substantiation based on larger patient samples is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Hsui
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Wen-Chi
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chang-Hai
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Liang-Wen
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Hang
authors.forename: Fuu-Jen
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D044466:Asian People; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000235:genetics; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics*; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D015847:Interleukin-4