title: Polymorphism of the DNA repair genes RAD51 and XRCC2 in smoking- and drinking-related laryngeal cancer in a Polish population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cigarette smoke and alcohol can generate reactive oxygen species, which may induce DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), the most serious DNA lesion. In humans, DSBs are repaired mainly by non-homologous end joining and homologous recombination repair (HRR). Several polymorphisms in the DNA repair gene have been extensively studied in the association with various human cancers. In the present work we investigated the association between polymorphisms of two HRR genes, XRCC2 and RAD51, and tobacco- and alcohol-related larynx cancer in a Polish population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two polymorphisms of the XRCC2 gene, -41657C > T (rs718282) and 31479G > A (rs3218536), as well as one polymorphism of the RAD51 gene, -135G > C (rs1801320), were investigated by PCR-RFLP in 253 patients with larynx cancer and 253 age- and sex-matched non-cancer controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of the gene-smoking and -drinking interactions revealed a weak association between larynx cancer and the -41657C > T polymorphisms of the XRCC2 gene among the moderate alcohol drinkers. The C allele of the -135G > C polymorphism of RAD51 increased cancer risk in the smoker group. Increased risk was also found for heavy drinkers. Additionally, there were no significant differences between distributions of genotypes in subgroups assigned to different TNM stages and grades.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicated that the -135G > C polymorphism of the RAD51 gene may be associated with smoking- and drinking-related larynx cancer in Poland.
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Department of Pathology, Institute of Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital, Lodz, Poland.
authors: Hanna
authors: H
authors: Romanowicz-Makowska
authors: Beata
authors: B
authors: Smolarz
authors: Marzena
authors: M
authors: Gajęcka
authors: Katarzyna
authors: K
authors: Kiwerska
authors: Malgorzata
authors: M
authors: Rydzanicz
authors: Dariusz
authors: D
authors: Kaczmarczyk
authors: Jurek
authors: J
authors: Olszewski
authors: Krzysztof
authors: K
authors: Szyfter
authors: Janusz
authors: J
authors: Błasiak
authors: Alina
authors: A
authors: Morawiec-Sztandera
keywords: RAD51; XRCC2; laryngeal cancer; polymorphism