title: The influence of cytokine gene polymorphisms on the risk of developing gastric cancer in patients with Helicobacter pylori infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Helicobacter pylori infection is the main cause of gastric cancer. The disease progression is influenced by the host inflammatory responses, and cytokine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may have a role in the course of the disease. The aim of our study was to investigate proinflammatory cytokine polymorphisms, previously associated with the development of gastric cancer, in a Slovenian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total 318 patients and controls were selected for the study and divided into three groups: (i) patients with gastric cancer (n = 58), (ii) patients with chronic gastritis (n = 60) and (iii) healthy control group (n = 200). H. pylori infection in patient groups was determined by serology, histology and culture. Four proinflammatory gene polymorphisms were determined (IL-1β, IL-1ra, TNF-α, TLR-4) in all subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a statistically significant difference between males and females for the groups (p = 0.025). Odds ratio (OR) for gastric cancer risk for females was 0.557 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.233-1.329) and for chronic gastritis 2.073 (95% CI: 1.005-4.277). IL-1B-511*T/T homozygous allele for cancer group had OR = 2.349 (95% CI: 0.583-9.462), heterozygous IL-1B-511*T had OR = 1.470 (95% CI: 0.583-3.709) and heterozygotes in TNF-A-308 genotype for chronic gastritis had OR = 1.402 (95% CI: 0.626-3.139). Other alleles had OR less than 1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We could not prove association between gastric cancer and chronic gastritis due to H. pylori in any cytokine SNPs studied in Slovenian population. Other SNPs might be responsible besides infection with H. pylori for the progression from atrophy to neoplastic transformation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stubljar
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Samo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jeverica
authors.affiliation: Medical faculty of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia.
authors.forename: Tomislav
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jukic
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Miha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skvarc
authors.affiliation: Department of Abdominal Surgery, University Clinical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Tadeja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pintar
authors.affiliation: Abacus Medico Diagnostic Centre Rogaska, Rogaska Slatina, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Bojan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tepes
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Rajko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kavalar
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Borut
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stabuc
authors.affiliation: Clinical Institute of Medical Genetics, University Clinical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Borut
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Peterlin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Alojz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ihan
keywords: Helicobacter pylori; chronic gastritis; gastric cancer; gene polymorphisms