Gender-specific association of NFKBIA promoter polymorphisms with the risk of sporadic colorectal cancer

Liver transcriptome analysis reveals biological pathways and transcription factors in response to high ammonia exposure

Aim: Ammonia is a toxic gas that not only causes environmental pollution, but also is harmful to human health after inhalation. Liver is an important detoxification organ that can convert external or metabolized toxic substances into nontoxic substances. However, the toxic effects of ammonia exposure on livers have not been well studied.Method: In this study, pigs were used as an animal model and were exposed to 80 ppm ammonia (8 h during 12 days), and then, RNA-seq were conducted to explore the key genes in response to high ammonia exposure in livers.Result: Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed that the genes associated with hypoxia, inflammatory response, and apoptosis were up-regulated in the ammonia group, but the genes associated with DNA replication, linoleic acid metabolism, and glycolysis were down-regulated. Totally, 556 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) including 54 genes that encode the transcription factors (TFs) were identified between the exposure and control groups. GO and KEGG pathway analysis suggested that these DEGs were involved in inflammatory response, oxidative stress, apoptosis, immune, and cell cycle. Furthermore, the TF-target interaction analysis showed that FOS, HIF-1α, JUNB, ATF3, REL, and KLF4 were important TFs in regulating the hepatic gene expression in response to high ammonia exposure.Conclusion: Altogether, our findings not only presented a comprehensive mRNA transcriptome profile of liver after high ammonia exposure, but also found some key genes and TFs that could be used to investigate the toxicity mechanism of high ammonia on livers.

Gene regulation by antisense transcription: A focus on neurological and cancer diseases

Advances in high-throughput sequencing over the past decades have led to the identification of thousands of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which play a major role in regulating gene expression. One emerging class of ncRNAs is the natural antisense transcripts (NATs), the RNA molecules transcribed from the opposite strand of a protein-coding gene locus. NATs are known to concordantly and discordantly regulate gene expression in both cis and trans manners at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational, and epigenetic levels. Aberrant expression of NATs can therefore cause dysregulation in many biological pathways and has been observed in many genetic diseases. This review outlines the involvements and mechanisms of NATs in the pathogenesis of various diseases, with a special emphasis on neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. We also summarize recent findings on NAT knockdown and/or overexpression experiments and discuss the potential of NATs as promising targets for future gene therapies.

Genetic Susceptibility to Acute Kidney Injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a widely held concern related to a substantial burden of morbidity, mortality and expenditure in the healthcare system. AKI is not a simple illness but a complex conglomeration of syndromes that often occurs as part of other syndromes in its wide clinical spectrum of the disease. Genetic factors have been suggested as potentially responsible for its susceptibility and severity. As there is no current cure nor an effective treatment other than generally accepted supportive measures and renal replacement therapy, updated knowledge of the genetic implications may serve as a strategic tactic to counteract its dire consequences. Further understanding of the genetics that predispose AKI may shed light on novel approaches for the prevention and treatment of this condition. This review attempts to address the role of key genes in the appearance and development of AKI, providing not only a comprehensive update of the intertwined process involved but also identifying specific markers that could serve as precise targets for further AKI therapies.

Association of circulating leptin and adiponectin levels with colorectal cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control studies

PURPOSE

Leptin and adiponectin are adipokines which have been commonly implicated in carcinogenesis. As such, many studies have investigated the association of circulating leptin and adiponectin levels with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. However, the results remained inconsistent.

METHODS

In this work, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to precisely examine the association between circulating levels of leptin and adiponectin and CRC risk. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases from inception until October 2020. The pooled effect size was then estimated by calculating the odds ratio (OR).

RESULTS

A total of 23 records (comprising 26 studies) were included in the meta-analysis. The overall analysis found that circulating levels of leptin and adiponectin were not significantly associated with CRC risk (P > 0.05). Interestingly, subgroup analysis revealed that a higher level of adiponectin was significantly associated with an increased CRC risk among overweight individuals (OR = 1.16; 95 % CI: 1.02, 1.32), and a decreased CRC risk among normal weight individuals (OR = 0.76; 95 % CI: 0.62, 0.92). Besides, a higher level of adiponectin was also significantly associated with a decreased risk of CRC in men (OR = 0.76; 95 % CI: 0.59, 0.98).

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, circulating leptin level was not associated with CRC risk, but that of adiponectin was associated with CRC risk only in specific subgroups.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms within NFKBIA are associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma susceptibility in Chinese Han population

Genes involved in latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) signaling pathways have been suggested to play an important role in nasopharyngeal carcinogenesis. We investigated potentially functional genetic variants associated with the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in genes involved in the LMP1 signaling pathway. Altogether, 73 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with MAF ≥ 10% were located within the regions of interest of the four genes TRAF3, NFKBIA, CHUK and MAP2K4. From these, 10 SNPs were selected for genotyping based on LD (r² ≥ 0.80) in a hospital-based case-control study of 332 NPC cases and 585 healthy controls from the Chinese Han population. Minor allele carriers of the promoter SNP rs2233409 in NFKBIA, had an increased risk of NPC (AA vs GG: OR 7.14, 95%CI, 1.08-34.18, P = 0.04, dominant model). Based on the results, we concluded that rs2233409 polymorphism in NFKBIA may be moderately associated with the risk of NPC. Further studies with larger independent samples and functional analysis are needed to verify our results.

Association between inflammatory-response gene polymorphisms and risk of acute kidney injury in children

In the present study, we investigated the association of 12 polymorphisms in six inflammatory-response genes (TNF, IL6, IL10, IL18, NFKB1 and NFKBIA) with risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) in children. The polymorphisms were genotyped in 1138 children with AKI and 1382 non-AKI controls. Logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate the odds ratio for estimating the risk association. After accounting for Bonferroni correction and adjustment for potential confounders, significant association was observed for NFKB1 rs28362491, NFKBIA rs2233406 and NFKBIA rs696 polymorphisms (P < 0.004). All three polymorphisms were associated with a reduced risk of AKI. For rs28362491 polymorphism, the OR for ID vs. II comparison was 0.75 (95% CI = 0.58-0.83) while that for DD vs. II was 0.44 (95% CI = 0.30-0.67). For rs2233406 polymorphism, the CT vs. CC comparison showed an OR of 0.90 (95% CI = 0.39-0.99), while the TT vs. CC comparison showed an OR of 0.43 (95% CI = 0.33-0.80). For rs696 polymorphism, the OR for AG vs. AA comparison was 0.71 (95% CI = 0.43-0.89), while the GG vs. AA comparison showed an OR of 0.39 (95% CI = 0.21-0.71). In conclusion, NFKB1 rs28362491, NFKBIA rs2233406 and NFKBIA rs696 polymorphisms may serve as biomarkers for predicting risk of AKI in children.

Association of NFKB1 and NFKBIA gene polymorphisms with susceptibility of gastric cancer

Xianyou county of Fujian province, located on the southeast coastal of China, has higher gastric cancer mortality. Chronic inflammation plays an important role in the occurrence of gastric cancer, in which the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway of the inflammatory reaction begins and plays an important role in the amplification process. Studies have found that a single-nucleotide polymorphism of nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway molecules encoding genes is associated with gastric cancer, but the combined effect of the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway gene has not been explained nor has been cardia and non-cardia gastric cancer risk factors and genetic susceptibility loci. New gastric cancer cases of the Fujian Xianyou Hospital were the research object. They were divided into cardia and non-cardia cancer in order to study a single-nucleotide polymorphism of the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway important node molecules P50 and I kappa B encoding genes NFKB1 and NFKBIA by desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry analysis and by matrix-assisted laser mass spectrometry. The results showed that NFKB1 and NFKBIA single-nucleotide polymorphisms and gastric cancer are related and that the combined effects of polymorphisms in two genes and the NFKBIA gene monomer increased the risk of gastric cancer, and it was found that in different types of gastric cancer (the cardia and non-cardia cancer), susceptible polymorphism sites and combined effects are different.

Association of NF-κB polymorphisms with clinical outcome of non-medullary thyroid carcinoma

The NF-κB inflammatory pathway plays a major role in cancer development and clinical progression. Activation of NF-κB signaling is promoted by NFKB1 and inhibited by NFKBIA. The present study aimed to determine the relevance of NFKB1 rs4648068 and NFKBIA rs2233406 genetic variants for non-medullary thyroid cancer (NMTC) susceptibility, progression and clinical outcome. This case-control and cohort study consists of a Romanian discovery cohort (157 patients and 258 controls) and a Dutch validation cohort (138 patients and 188 controls). In addition, patient cohorts were analyzed further for the association of genetic variants with clinical parameters. Functional studies were performed on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. No associations were observed between the studied genetic variants and TC susceptibility. Although no statistically significant associations with clinical parameters were observed for NFKB1 rs4648068, the heterozygous genotype of NFKBIA rs2233406 was correlated with decreased radioactive iodide sensitivity requiring higher cumulative dosages to achieve clinical response. These findings were discovered in the Romanian cohort (P < 0.001) and confirmed in the Dutch cohort (P = 0.01). Functional studies revealed that this NFKBIA rs2233406 genotype was associated with elevated TLR4-mediated IL-1β production. In conclusion, genetic variation in NFKBIA, an inhibitor of NF-κB signaling, is associated with clinical response to RAI therapy and with increased production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β, providing a potential mechanism for the observed clinical associations. These data suggest that NF-κB signaling is involved in NMTC pathogenesis and that the inflammatory tumor microenvironment could contribute to RAI resistance.

Aberrant methylation patterns in colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis

Colorectal cancer is among the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Despite numerous molecular characterizations of the phenomenon, the exact dynamics of its onset and progression remain elusive. Colorectal cancer onset has been characterized by changes in DNA methylation profiles, that, owing to the stability of their patterns, are promising candidates to shed light on the molecular events laying at the base of this phenomenon.To exploit this stability and reinforce it, we conducted a meta-analysis on publicly available DNA methylation datasets generated on: normal colorectal, adenoma (ADE) and adenocarcinoma (CRC) samples using the Illumina 450k array, in the systems medicine frame, searching for tumor gene episignatures, to produce a carefully selected list of potential drivers, markers and targets of the disease. The analysis proceeds from a differential meta-analysis of the methylation profiles using an analytical pipeline recently developed by our group [1], through network reconstruction, topological and functional analyses, to finally highlight relevant epigenomic features. Our results show that genes already highlighted for their genetic or transcriptional alteration in colorectal cancer are also differentially methylated, reinforcing -regardless of the level of cellular control- their role in the complex of alterations involved in tumorigenesis.These findings were finally validated in an independent cohort from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).

NFKB1 -94insertion/deletion ATTG polymorphism and cancer risk: Evidence from 50 case-control studies

Nuclear factor-kappa B1 (NF-κB1) is a pleiotropic transcription factor and key contributor to tumorigenesis in many types of cancer. Numerous studies have addressed the association of a functional insertion (I)/deletion (D) polymorphism (-94ins/delATTG, rs28362491) in the promoter region of NFKB1 gene with the risk of various types of cancer; however, their conclusions have been inconsistent. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis to reevaluate this association. PubMed, EMBASE, China National Knowledge infrastructure (CNKI), and WANFANG databases were searched through July 2016 to retrieve relevant studies. After careful assessment, 50 case-control studies, comprising 18,299 cases and 23,484 controls were selected. Crude odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to determine the strength of the association. The NFKB1 -94ins/delATTG polymorphism was associated with a decreased risk of overall cancer in the homozygote model (DD vs. II): OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.64-0.87); heterozygote model (ID vs. II): OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.83-0.99; recessive model (DD vs. ID/II): OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.71-0.91; dominant model (ID/DD vs. II): OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.78-0.95; and allele contrast model (D vs. I): OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.81-0.95). Subgroup and stratified analyses revealed decreased risks for lung cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and oral squamous cell carcinoma, and this association held true also for Asians (especially Chinese subjects) in hospital-based studies, and in studies with quality scores less than nine. Well-designed, large-scale case-control studies are needed to confirm these results.

Polymorphisms in NF-κB pathway genes & their association with risk of lung cancer in the Chinese population

Objective:

To investigate the association of NFKB1 -94 ins/del ATTG, NFKBIA -826C>T and NFKBIA -881A>G polymorphisms with risk of lung cancer in a Chinese population.

Methods:

Genotyping of the polymorphisms were performed on 1,436 subjects (718 cases and 718 controls) by using PCR-RFLP technique, followed by DNA sequencing.

Results:

We found a significant risk reduction associated with heterozygous ins/del (OR=0.705, 95% CI=0.566-0.878, P=0.002) and variant del/del (OR=0.342, 95% CI=0.221-0.528, P<0.001) genotypes of the NFKB1 polymorphism. In contrast, the heterozygous and variantgenotypes of theNFKBIA polymorphisms showed association with increased lung cancer risk (NFKBIA -826 CT,OR=1.256, 95%CI=1.004-1.572, P=0.046; TT,OR=1.773, 95% CI=1.131-2.778, P=0.013; NFKBIA -881 AG,OR=1.277, 95% CI=1.023-1.599, P=0.031; GG,OR=1.801, 95% CI=1.169-2.775, P=0.008). Several genotypic combinations of the three polymorphisms also showed significant association with lung cancer risk. The risk association of NFKB1 polymorphism remained significant when analyses were done according to gender and smoking status (P<0.05). The significance of NFKBIA risk association was not observed when gender-specific analyses were made (P>0.05), while only NFKBIA -881 GG genotype showed significant risk association among smokers when analyzed according to smoking status (P=0.032).

Conclusions:

Polymorphisms in NFKB1 and NFKBIAgenes were associated with risk of lung cancer.

Association between polymorphisms in selected inflammatory response genes and the risk of prostate cancer

Inflammation represents an important event which facilitates prostate carcinogenesis. Genetic variations in inflammatory response genes could affect the level and function of the protein products, resulting in the differential prostate cancer risk among carriers of different variants. This study attempted to investigate the association of IL-4 rs2243250, IL-6 rs10499563, IL-8 rs4073, as well as NFKBIA rs2233406 and rs3138053 polymorphisms with prostate cancer risk in the Chinese population. Genotyping of the polymorphisms was performed by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique on 439 prostate cancer patients and 524 controls, and the association of each polymorphic genotype with prostate cancer risk was evaluated by using logistic regression analysis based on allele, heterozygous, and homozygous comparison models, with adjustment to age and smoking status. We showed that the C allele of IL-4 rs2243250 polymorphism could increase prostate cancer risk (heterozygous comparison model: odds ratio [OR] =1.434, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.092–1.881, P=0.009; homozygous comparison model: OR =2.301, 95% CI =1.402–3.775, P=0.001; allele comparison model: OR =1.509, 95% CI =1.228–1.853, P<0.001). On the other hand, the C allele of rs10499563 polymorphism could decrease prostate cancer risk (heterozygous comparison model: OR =0.694, 95% CI =0.525–0.918, P=0.010; homozygous comparison model: OR =0.499, 95% CI =0.269–0.926, P=0.028; allele comparison model: OR =0.692, 95% CI =0.553–0.867, P=0.001). No association was observed for the other polymorphisms. In conclusion, IL-4 rs2243250 and IL-6 rs10499563 polymorphisms could serve as potential predictive biomarkers for prostate cancer risk in the Chinese population.

Genetic Variations in Inflammatory Response Genes and Their Association with the Risk of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is a common cancer in men. Genetic variations in inflammatory response genes can potentially influence the risk of prostate cancer. We aimed to examine the association between PPARG Pro12Ala, NFKB1 -94 ins/del, NFKBIA -826C/T, COX-1 (50C>T), and COX-2 (-1195G>A) polymorphisms on prostate cancer risk. The genotypes of the polymorphisms were ascertained in 543 prostate cancer patients and 753 controls through PCR-RFLP and the risk association was evaluated statistically using logistic regression analysis. The NFKB1 -94 polymorphism was shown to decrease prostate cancer risk in both heterozygous and homozygous comparison models (odds ratios of 0.74 (95% CI = 0.58-0.96) (P = 0.02) and 0.57 (95% CI = 0.42-0.78) (P < 0.01), resp.). An opposite finding was observed for COX-2 (-1195) polymorphism (odds ratios of 1.58 (95% CI = 1.15-2.18) (P < 0.01) for heterozygous comparison model and 2.08 (95% CI = 1.48-2.92) (P < 0.01) for homozygous comparison model). No association was observed for other polymorphisms. In conclusion, NFKB1 -94 ins/del and COX-2 (-1195G>A) polymorphisms may be, respectively, associated with decreased and increased prostate cancer risk in the Chinese population.

Common Polymorphisms in the NFKBIA Gene and Cancer Susceptibility: A Meta-Analysis

Background

NFKBIA encodes the inhibitors of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), which regulate the translation of the genes involved in the inflammatory and immune reactions. Polymorphisms (rs2233406, rs3138053, and rs696) of NFKBIA have been implicated in susceptibility to many cancer types.

Material/Methods

To evaluate the association between polymorphisms of NFKBIA and cancer susceptibility, a meta-analysis including a total of 7182 cancer cases and 10 057 controls from 28 case-control studies was performed. Data were extracted and pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

Results

Combined data demonstrated that rs3138053 polymorphism of NFKBIA was associated with cancer susceptibility in an allelic model (C vs. T: OR=10.754, 95%CI=4.175–27.697, P_{heterogeneity}=0.000), while the polymorphism of rs696 appeared to play a protective role in tumorigenesis (CC+CT vs. TT: OR=0.879, 95%CI=0.787–0.982, P_{heterogeneity}=0.107). When stratification analysis was performed by cancer type, an increased association of rs3138053 was recognized in hepatocarcinoma (C vs. T: OR=42.180, 95%CI=27.970–63.612, P_{heterogeneity}=0.007), while a decreased association of rs696 was identified in Hodgkin lymphoma (C vs. T: OR=0.792, 95%CI=0.656–0.956, P_{heterogeneity}=0.116; CC vs. TT: OR=0.658, 95%CI=0.448–0.965, P_{heterogeneity}=0.076; CC vs. CT+TT: OR=0.734, 95%CI=0.562–0.958, P_{heterogeneity}=0.347). By ethnicity, rs696 appears to be a protective candidate among Caucasians (CT vs. TT: OR=0.809, 95%CI=0.676–0.969, P_{heterogeneity}=0.459).

Conclusions

Our data demonstrated that the rs3138053 polymorphism of NFKBIA gene is a candidate for susceptibility to overall cancers, while rs696 plays a protective role.

Genetic susceptibility to cervical cancer: role of common polymorphisms in apoptosis-related genes

Cervical cancer is a common malignancy which poses a significant health burden among women, especially those living in the developing countries. Although human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been unequivocally implicated in the etiopathogenesis of the cancer, it alone is not adequate to contribute to the malignant transformation of cervical cells. Most HPV infections regress spontaneously, and only a small proportion of women have persistent infections which eventually lead to malignancy. This suggests that interplays between HPV infection and other cofactors certainly exist during the process of cervical carcinogenesis, which synergistically contribute to the differential susceptibility of an individual to the malignancy. Undoubtedly, host genetic factors represent a major element involved in such a synergistic interaction, and accumulating evidence suggests that polymorphisms in apoptosis-related genes play an important role in the genetic susceptibility to cervical cancer. This review consolidates the recent literatures on the role of common polymorphisms in apoptosis-related genes in genetic susceptibility to cervical cancer.

Genetic Association Between NFKBIA -881A>G Polymorphism and Cancer Susceptibility

Several epidemiological studies have focused on the role of nuclear factor-kappa-B inhibitor-alpha (NFKBIA) -881 A>G polymorphism in cancer susceptibility. However, the published data have led to contentious results. This study was designed to examine the association between -881 A>G polymorphism and cancer risk.Comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of science and Embase, identified a total of 5 case-control studies. To assess the association, comparison among all subjects plus subgroup analysis by ethnicity was performed and odds ratio (OR) along with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated with the fixed-effect model or the random-effects model dependent on the heterogeneity.The pooling data consisting of 1965 cancer cases and 2717 cancer-free controls demonstrated no significant association with overall cancer risk. However, the subgroup of Asian populations showed statistical evidence for an increase in risk of cancer (GG vs. AA, OR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.03-4.46; GG + GA vs. AA, OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.01-1.47; GG vs. GA + AA, OR, 2.09; 95% CI, 1.01-4.34).This investigation on the association of -881 A>G polymorphism and cancer susceptibility reveals that -881 A>G polymorphism may act as a candidate for cancer development in Asian populations.

Polymorphisms in NFKB1 and NFKBIA Genes Modulate the Risk of Developing Prostate Cancer among Han Chinese

Background

Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway proteins play an important role in modulating inflammation and other carcinogenic processes. Polymorphisms within NF-κB pathway genes may influence cancer risk. This study aimed to examine the association between NFKB19-4 ATTG ins→del, NFKBIA 3′ UTR A→G, -826CT and -881AG polymorphisms and prostate cancer risk among Chinese.

Material/Methods

The polymorphisms were genotyped via PCR-RFLP technique on 936 prostate cancer patients and 936 population-based healthy controls. Logistic regression model was used to measure the risk association present.

Results

With the exception of NFKBIA 3′ UTR polymorphism, the heterozygous and mutant genotypes of the other polymorphisms were significantly associated with prostate cancer risk. For NFKB1 polymorphism, a decreased risk was observed, with adjusted OR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.44, 0.98; P=0.01 (heterozygous) and adjusted OR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.37, 0.91; P=0.02 (mutant). NFKBIA -826CT and -881AG polymorphisms were in complete linkage disequilibrium and shared the same risk association, with adjusted OR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.09, 1.62; P=0.02 (heterozygous) and adjusted OR: 2.83; 95% CI: 1.79, 4.50; P=0.01 (mutants). Interestingly, the impact of the NFKB1 polymorphism was not present in nonsmokers and younger (<60 years) subjects (P<0.05).

Conclusions

In conclusion, polymorphisms in NFKB1 and NFKBIA genes may modulate the risk of developing prostate cancer among Chinese.

Genetic polymorphisms in inflammatory response genes and their associations with breast cancer risk

Aim

To explore the association of NFKB1 c.-798_-795delATTG (rs28362491), NFKBIA c.-949C>T (rs2233406), IL-8 c.-352A>T (rs4073), IL-10 c.-854T>C (rs1800871), TNF c.-418G>A (rs361525), and TNF c.-488G>A (rs1800629) polymorphisms with breast cancer risk in an East Chinese population.

Methods

We conducted a case-control study including 975 study participants (474 breast cancer patients and 501 female controls without cancer) and genotyped the polymorphisms employing polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Logistic regression was used to assess the association of the polymorphisms with breast cancer risk.

Results

We found that the ins/del and del/del genotypes of NFKB1 polymorphism and TT genotype of IL-10 polymorphism significantly increased breast cancer risk (NFKB1 ins/del odds ratio [OR] 1.69, 95% [CI] 1.23-2.33, P = 0.001; NFKB1 del/del OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.72-3.42, P < 0.001; IL-10 TT OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.58-3.52, P < 0.001). On the other hand, the TT genotype of IL-8 polymorphism, GA and AA genotypes of TNF c.-418G>A polymorphism, and GA genotype of TNF c.-488G>A polymorphism significantly reduced breast cancer risk (IL-8 TT OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.33-0.72, P < 0.001; TNF c.-418 GA OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.41-0.80, P = 0.001; TNF c.-418 AA OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.14-0.98, P = 0.044; TNF c.-488 GA OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.48-0.96, P = 0.029). When stratified by menopausal status, the CT genotype of NFKBIA polymorphism significantly reduced the risk among pre-menopausal women (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.40-0.99, P = ,043), but not among post-menopausal women.

Conclusions

NFKB1, NFKBIA, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF polymorphisms could serve as useful predictive biomarkers for breast cancer risk among women in East China.

A multifactorial analysis of the pregnancy outcomes in cytomegalovirus-infected women

AIMS

To investigate the impacts of cytomegalovirus (CMV) viral load, TORCH (toxoplasmosis, others, rubella, CMV and herpes) coinfections, CMV glycoprotein B (gB) genotypes and maternal genetic polymorphisms on pregnancy outcomes among CMV-infected women.

METHODS

A total of 731 CMV-infected pregnant women (634 and 97 with normal and adverse pregnancy outcomes, respectively) were recruited. CMV load quantification and screening of TORCH coinfections were performed by using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunodetection techniques, respectively. Genotyping of CMV gB and maternal NFKB1 -94 ins/del, NFKBIA -826C/T and -881A/G polymorphisms was performed by using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism.

RESULTS

We found that the mean CMV viral load in women with adverse pregnancy outcomes was significantly higher than that in women with normal outcomes at all pregnancy stages (p < 0.01). We also found that TORCH coinfections resulted in a 1.65-fold (95% CI = 1.00-2.73) increase in the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes (p = 0.05). Additionally, we noticed no significant difference in the distribution of CMV gB genotypes between women with normal and adverse pregnancy outcomes (p = 0.42). We also observed that the ins/ins variant genotype of the NFKB1 polymorphism could reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes (OR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.15-0.98; p = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

CMV viral load, TORCH coinfections and maternal NFKB1 polymorphism could influence pregnancy outcomes among CMV-infected women.

Associations of IL-2 and IL-4 Expression and Polymorphisms With the Risks of Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infection and Asthma in Children

INTRODUCTION

Asthma is an inflammatory disorder of the airways and the symptoms of asthma could be exacerbated by Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. Interleukin-2 and interleukin-4 have been implicated in immune and inflammatory reactions. We examined the associations of IL2 and IL4 polymorphisms and expression with the risks of asthma and M. pneumoniae infection in children.

METHODS

392 asthmatic children and 849 controls were recruited into the study. Eight polymorphisms in IL2 and IL4 were genotyped with Sequenom MassARRAY platform. M. pneumoniae infection and copy number was determined with fluorescence PCR. IL-2 and IL-4 serum expression levels were determined by using ELISA.

RESULTS

We found a significant association of IL2 rs6534349 polymorphism with increased asthma risk (heterozygotes, P=.029; homozygous variants; P=.013) and of IL4 rs2227284 polymorphism with reduced asthma risk (heterozygotes, P=.026; homozygous variants; P=.001). Besides, the association of other polymorphisms, except rs2070874 polymorphism, became apparent when the asthmatic children were grouped according to GINA classification of asthma control and severity. In addition, IL-2 and IL-4 serum expression levels were significantly higher in M. pneumoniae negative (P=.038) and positive (P=.011) subjects respectively. This observation holds true among asthmatic patients (P=.016 for IL-2 and P=.042 for IL-4), but only the IL-4 observation remained correct among non-asthmatic controls (P=.032). We also observed that the rs6534349 GG genotype was significantly associated with increased odds of getting high load M. pneumoniae infection (P=.0376).

CONCLUSIONS

IL2 and IL4 could be important biomarkers for estimating the risks of asthma and M. pneumoniae infection in children.

Association between genetic polymorphisms of inflammatory response genes and the risk of ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Inflammation plays an important role in promoting ovarian tumorigenesis and cancer progression. However, the relationship between polymorphisms in inflammatory response genes and risk of ovarian cancer remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the association of PPARG Pro12Ala, IL6-174G/C, E-selectin S128R, NFKB1-94 ins/del, NFKBIA-826C/T, and ICAM-1 K469E polymorphisms with ovarian cancer risk in a Chinese population.

METHODS

Genotyping of the polymorphisms was performed on 687 cases and 687 controls employing the PCR-RFLP technique, and the logistic regression model was used to measure the risk association.

RESULTS

A significantly increased risk association was observed for the heterozygous genotypes of PPARG [odds ratio (OR) = 1.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.01-2.29] and E-selectin (OR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.07-2.93) polymorphisms, as well as the homozygous ins/ins genotype of NFKB1 polymorphism (OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.00-1.92). By contrast, ICAM-1 KE genotype was associated with a decreased ovarian cancer risk (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.60-0.98). In addition, the NFKB1 del/del + NFKBIA TT combination was also found to be associated with a decreased ovarian cancer risk, with OR = 0.12 (95% CI = 0.01-0.95). The associations of the NFKB1 and ICAM-1 polymorphisms replicated the findings of previous reports, assuring the reliability of the results obtained.

CONCLUSION

NFKB1 and ICAM-1 polymorphisms could serve as useful ovarian cancer risk prediction biomarkers for the Chinese population, while the utility of PPARG and E-selectin polymorphisms as biomarkers requires further confirmation in independent ovarian cancer cohorts.

Association between glutathione S-transferase T1, M1, and P1 genotypes and the risk of colorectal cancer

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are enzymes which play an important role in the neutralization of toxic compounds and eradication of electrophilic carcinogens. Genetic polymorphisms within the genes encoding for GSTs may therefore cause variations in their enzyme activity, which may in turn influence the interindividual susceptibility to cancers. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between genetic polymorphisms of GSTT1, GSTM1, and GSTP1 and the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) in 264 cases and 317 controls in a Chinese population. Genotyping was performed by using multiplex PCR (for GSTT1 and GSTM1) and PCR-RFLP (for GSTP1) methods. The association between the polymorphic genotypes and CRC risk was evaluated by deriving odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using unconditional logistic regression analysis. Our results showed that individuals with GSTT1 and GSTM1 null genotypes exhibited a higher risk of CRC (GSTT1, OR,1.66; 95% CI, 1.20-2.31, P=0.003; GSTM1, OR,1.57; 95% CI,1.13-2.18, P=0.007), while no association was observed for GSTP1 (P heterozygous=0.790 or P variant=0.261). Furthermore, individuals who simultaneously carried the null genotypes for both GSTT1 and GSTM1 showed a stronger risk association (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.33-2.85; P<0.001). In conclusion, the GSTT1 and GSTM1 polymorphisms, but not GSTP1, may modulate the CRC risk among Chinese.

Glutathione S-transferase T1 and M1 polymorphisms are associated with lung cancer risk in a gender-specific manner

BACKGROUND

Glutathione S-transferase (GST) T1 and M1 are detoxification enzymes which neutralize various carcinogenic compounds. Polymorphisms of the GSTT1 and GSTM1 genes which encode the enzymes could be associated with cancer risk.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We investigated the association of GSTT1 and GSTM1 null polymorphisms with lung cancer risk in a tightly matched, considerably large sample in China. Genotyping was performed utilizing polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis and DNA sequencing, and associations were measured by using logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

We found that the null genotypes of both polymorphisms resulted in an increased lung cancer risk, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.57 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23-2.00) for GSTT1 and OR 1.87 (95% CI 1.46-2.39) for GSTM1 (p < 0.01). Significant associations remained after stratification by histopathology (p < 0.01) and smoking status (p < 0.05). When gender-stratified association was performed, we found that the GSTT1 null genotype resulted in an increased risk among males (adjusted OR 2.95, 95% CI 2.07-4.20; p < 0.01) but not females (p > 0.05), while the GSTM1 null genotype resulted in an increased risk among females (adjusted OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.54-3.10; p < 0.01) but not males (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Polymorphisms in GSTT1 and GSTM1 are associated with the risk of lung cancer in a gender-specific manner.