title: Association between the STin2 VNTR polymorphism and smoking behavior in oral cancer patients and healthy individuals.
abstract: The serotonergic system may be involved in smoking behavior since the intake of nicotine increases serotonin secretion in the CNS. Moreover, evidence supporting the beneficial effect of selective serotonin reuptake for quitting smoking suggesting that the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) is a plausible target for the understanding and elucidation of smoking behavior. The transcriptional activity of its human gene (SLC6A4) is modulated by a polymorphism described in the second intron, the STin2 VNTR, which thus may interfere with 5-HTT synthesis. In this study was analyzed the polymorphism STin2 VNTR of 60 smokers male patients diagnosed for oral carcinoma, 61 male smokers without cancer and 65 non-smoker healthy blood donors. The STin2. 9 allele carriers were more present in smoker groups (with cancer and without cancer, respectively) than in the non-smoker (OR = 7.11, 95% CI = 0.83-60.91 and OR = 24.73; IC 95% = 3.17-192.66). Conversely, individuals carrying allele 10 were more prevalent in non-smokers compared with smokers (oral cancer patients and individuals without cancer, respectively), showing a protective factor of this allele (OR = 0.56; 95% CI = 0.24-1.33 and OR = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.20-1.07). This is the first report of a study assessing the importance of STin2 VNTR smoking behavior in Brazilian individuals and the association of STin2. 9 allele carriers in nicotine dependence. It is suggested that individuals with low serotonin concentration in the central nervous system, probably due to the presence of the allele for high expression of 5-HTT,especially STin2. 9, were more susceptible to nicotine dependence. Moreover, individuals with the 10 allele might have less risk for nicotine dependence.
authors.affiliation: Biological Science Center, Department of Pathological Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Genetic and Immunology, State University of Londrina, Campus Universitário, CEP, Londrina, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Kalil William Alves
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: de Lima
authors.forename: Roberta Losi
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Guembarovski
authors.forename: Julie Massayo Maeda
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.forename: Gyl
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Benedito Valdecir
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Iglenir João
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Cavalli
authors.forename: Enilze Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: de Souza Fonseca Ribeiro
authors.forename: Marlene Silva Bardi
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Mateus Nobrega
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Sandra Odebrecht Vargas
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.forename: Maria Angelica Ehara
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005787:Gene Frequency; D015894:Genome, Human; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D012701:Serotonin