Primary lung cancer and TNF-alpha gene polymorphisms: a case-control study in a Croatian population.
BACKGROUND
Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a multifunctional cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory and malignant diseases. Previous studies investigating the role of the TNF-alpha gene polymorphisms in lung cancer have generated contradictory results. The present study investigated whether the TNF-alpha-308 and TNF-alpha-238 polymorphisms are associated with risk and/or severity of disease in Croatian lung cancer patients. This is the first study in a Caucasian population to analyze the influence of these two polymorphisms on multiple types of lung cancer.


METHODS
In a case-control study, lung cancer patients (n=230) and appropriate age- and sex-matched controls (n=230) were genotyped by the polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Allele and genotype frequencies were estimated by gene counting. The chi-squared test was used to compare the observed numbers of different TNF-alpha genotypes for the population with those predicted by Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Differences in genotype and allele distributions in the patient and control groups were analyzed for statistical significance using the chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test as appropriate.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences in the genotype and allele frequencies for the TNF-alpha-308 and TNF-alpha-238 polymorphisms between lung cancer patients and controls. Furthermore, no association between the genotypes and different stages of lung cancer was detected.


CONCLUSIONS
This study indicates that the TNF-alpha-308 and TNF-alpha-238 polymorphisms do not influence susceptibility to or severity of lung cancer in a Croatian population.
Flego
Veljko
V
Department of Pulmonology, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia. veljko.fl ego2@ri.t-com.hr
Radojcić Badovinac
Andjelka
A
Bulat-Kardum
Ljiljana
L
Matanić
Dubravka
D
Crnić-Martinović
Marija
M
Kapović
Miljenko
M
Ristić
Smiljana
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017523:Croatia; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics*
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha