title: Are HLA-E*0103 alleles predictive markers for nasopharyngeal cancer risk?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a particular entity of head neck cancer, tightly related to Epstein-Barr virus infection and thus to HLA genes. In this study, we aimed to analyze HLA-E polymorphism in NPC advent and prognosis. 130 unrelated patients with CNP and 180 unrelated and healthy controls were included in our study. HLA-E genotyping was performed by PCR/RFLP method; SPSS (13.0) was used for statistical analysis, and survival curbs were established with the "Kaplan-Meier" method (Log Rank<0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a significant difference within HLA-E*103 variants between patients and controls: E*1031 and E*1032 were associated with CNP (OR=1.613, p=0.013 and OR=1.0809, p=0.055), and E*1033 with controls (OR=0.254, p<10(-4)).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study reveals that HLA-E polymorphism is associated with nasopharyngeal cancer. HLA-E expression studies could be used to understand the implication of E*103 variants.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Biology Department, Salah Azaiz Institute of Cancer, 1006 Bab Saadoun, Tunis, Tunisia. Electronic address: htdouik@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Hayet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Douik
authors.affiliation: Statistic and Epidemiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, 1007, Djebel Lakhdar, La Rabta, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Neila Attia
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Romdhane
authors.affiliation: Clinical Biology Department, Salah Azaiz Institute of Cancer, 1006 Bab Saadoun, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Fethi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guemira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D002277:Carcinoma; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult; D000097625:HLA-E Antigens
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000097625:HLA-E Antigens
keywords: HLA-E; Nasopharyngeal cancer; Polymorphism; Prognosis