The interleukin-8 (-251A/T) polymorphism is associated with increased risk for oral squamous cell carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
In light of recently found contribution of angiogenic and inflammation-related factors to malignancies, this study investigated the possible association of interleukin-8 gene (IL-8) to increased risk of oral cancer.


METHODS
The IL-8 (-251 A/T) polymorphism, which influences IL-8 gene expression, was evaluated by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis in DNA samples of 158 German and Greek patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and 156 healthy controls of equivalent sex, ethnicity and age.


RESULTS
Significant increase of mutant (A-251) allele, which results in higher IL-8 gene expression, was observed in all patients in comparison to normal controls (P<0.001). The A/T heterozygotes had a two-fold greater risk (odds ratio 1.76, CI 1.11-2.79) for developing oral cancer compared to normal TT homozygotes. Furthermore, significantly increased values of mutant allele frequencies compared to controls were observed in all patients as well as in subgroups of patients with or without positive history of cancer (P<0.05 and P<0.001, respectively) and with or without positive history of thrombophilia (P<0.05 and P<0.001, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
In light to known observations of elevated plasma levels of IL-8 in several types of cancer including oral squamous cell carcinoma, the findings of this study suggest that the mutant allele of the (-251 A/T) polymorphism may be a major contributing genetic factor to risk for oral cancer.
Vairaktaris
E
E
Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Athens Medical School, Vas. Sofias 93 and Dim. Soutsou 1, GR-11521 Athens, Greece.
Yapijakis
C
C
Serefoglou
Z
Z
Derka
S
S
Vassiliou
S
S
Nkenke
E
E
Vylliotis
A
A
Wiltfang
J
J
Avgoustidis
D
D
Critselis
E
E
Neukam
F W
FW
Patsouris
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D005858:Germany; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012306:Risk
D016209:Interleukin-8