title: IFN gamma gene polymorphism may contribute to the susceptibility to CLL.
abstract: The pathogenesis of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) has been linked with the production and activity of certain growth factors. However a significant proportion of CLL patients display immune abnormalities suggestive of aberrant cytokine secretion and/or response. In contrast to B lymphocytes, T cells of B-CLL patients characterise with the increased production of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and this cytokine has been indicated to prevent malignant cells from entering apoptosis including the slowly expanding population of CD5+ B cells that characterizes chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The aim of the present study was to assess whether functionally relevant interferon-gamma gene (IFNG) polymorphism (+847 A/T) contributes to the pathogenesis of B-CLL. In total 110 individuals was investigates, including 61 CLL patients and 50 healthy individuals. The presence of the IFNG AA genotype was found to be associated with susceptibility to CLL (23/61 vs. 7/50, p < 0.005, for patients and controls, respectively). This results suggest that individuals rather prone to the lower level of IFN-gamma production (associated with the presence of the A allele) appear to be more susceptible to this malignant disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry, Wroclaw Medical University, Pasteur 2 Str, 50-367, Wroclaw, Poland. IwonaUrb@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Urbanowicz
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazur
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stacherzak-Pawlik
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bogunia-Kubik
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wróbel
authors.forename: Mieczysław
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Woźniak
authors.forename: Kazimierz
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuliczkowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics*; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational
chemical_list: D007371:Interferon-gamma