title: Association between EGF, TGF-{beta}1, TNF-{alpha} gene polymorphisms and cancer of the pancreatic head.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To date, EGF 61*A/G, TGF-β1 -509*T/C and TNF-α -308*A/G gene polymorphisms have been not been analysed in pancreatic carcinoma. This study investigated the frequency of these gene polymorphisms among patients with cancer of the pancreatic head.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 73 pancreatic head cancer patients and 117 cancer-free healthy people were recruited at the Surgical Department of the University Hospital Mannheim. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood and gene polymorphisms were analysed by PCR-RFLP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The distribution of EGF 61*G/G homozygotes among pancreatic head cancer patients was more frequent than that in the control group (24.7% vs 11.1%, odds ratio (OR) = 2.618, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.195-5.738). In addition, the frequency of the G allele in the pancreatic head cancer patient group was also higher than that in the control group (45.9% vs. 33.3%, OR = 1.696, 95% CI = 1.110-2.592). No difference was found for the TGF-β1 -509 and TNF-α -308 genotypes among pancreatic head cancer patients and healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequencies of the EGF 61*G/G genotype and G allele are significantly increased among patients with pancreatic head cancer. TGF-β1-509*T/C and TNF-α -308*A/G gene polymorphisms are not related to this cancer entity.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, PR China.
authors.forename: Guo-Yang
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Qingjun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hasenberg
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niedergethmann
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Post
authors.forename: Jörg W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Sturm
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keese
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000235:genetics*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor