Case-control study in basal cell carcinoma of the skin: single nucleotide polymorphisms in three interleukin promoters pre-analysed in pooled DNA

Association between single nucleotide polymorphisms of IL-6 and susceptibility to skin cancer: a meta-analysis and systematic review

Background

As one of the most common body malignant cancers, skin cancers contain a group of highly heterogeneous tumors with different malignant potential, prognosis and treatment methods. Despite the progress in the treatment of skin cancers worldwide, the overall prognosis is still poor. Recent studies indicated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of interleukin-6 (IL-6), including 174G/C and 597G/A, might be associated with susceptibility to skin cancer. This meta-analysis aims to clarify the relationship between IL-6 gene polymorphisms and skin cancers.

Methods

Eligible studies were identified from searching PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were obtained for the relationships between IL-6 174G/C and 597G/A polymorphisms and skin cancer using random-effects models. For the included studies, the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) score was calculated to assess study quality. Heterogeneity tests, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias assessments were also performed. Trim-and-fill method was used when publication bias existed aiming to adjusting OR. All data were analyzed in R (version 4.0.2).

Results

This meta-analysis included 1,705 cases and 1,987 controls for 174G/C polymorphism (10 publications), and 968 cases and 998 controls for 597G/A polymorphism (3 publications). No elevated risk of skin cancer was found in all comparisons for 174G/C polymorphism: CC vs. GC + GG, OR =1.03 (95% CI: 0.81-1.31); GC + CC vs. GG, OR =1.16 (95% CI: 0.96-1.39); CC vs. GG, OR =1.14 (95% CI: 0.86-1.53); GC vs. GG, OR =1.16 (95% CI: 0.99-1.37); C vs. G, OR =1.07 (95% CI: 0.92-1.24). Then we performed subgroup analysis based on publication year, the cancer type, sample size, NOS score. Significant differences were observed in the subgroup of publication year before 2010 (GC + CC vs. GG, OR =1.255, P=0.012; GC vs. GG, OR =1.277, P=0.01), while there is no statistical significance in the subgroup of publication year after 2010 (P>0.05 for all comparisons). After publication bias adjustment, the results further suggested that 174G/C polymorphism is not associated with the risk of skin cancer. No elevated risk of skin cancer was found in the comparisons for 597G/A polymorphism.

Discussion

Current evidence showed that IL-6 gene polymorphisms might not be associated with the susceptibility to skin cancer.

Association study indicates combined effect of interleukin-10 and angiotensin-converting enzyme in basal cell carcinoma development

Cytokines involved in inflammatory and immune response have been associated with risk for development of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). In this study, three functional DNA polymorphisms affecting gene expression were investigated in 54 BCC patients and 111 healthy controls: interleukin-1b (IL-1b) +3953C/T, interleukin-10 (IL-10) - 1082G/A and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphisms. Significant increase of the variant alleles was observed in IL-10 - 1082G (P = 0.019) and in ACE D (P = 0.003) in BCC patients in comparison to controls. Multivariate logistic regression models evaluated the contribution of homozygous and heterozygous variant polymorphisms to the risk for BCC development. The studied polymorphisms influencing the expression of IL-10 and ACE genes were recognized as potential predictive factors for BCC. These findings suggest a possible molecular mechanism leading to BCC development that is likely to involve the activation of angiotensin receptors in combination with increased plasma levels of IL-10 in patients.

STAT3 polymorphisms and IL-6 polymorphism are associated with the risk of basal cell carcinoma in patients from northern Poland

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) environment consists of stromal and inflammatory cells which produce variety of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors that may affect tumor behavior. One of the cytokines suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of BCC is IL-6, which is the upstream element of IL-6/JAK/STAT3 pathway. The correlation between polymorphisms of the genes related to this pathway and cancer risk/prognosis have been previously investigated in several neoplasia, but available data concerning BCC are scarce. In the present study, rs1800795 (-174 G/C) IL-6 gene polymorphism and two polymorphisms in the STAT3 gene, namely rs2293152 (intron 11, C/G) and rs4796793 (-1697, C/G) were assessed in relation to the BCC risk and clinical course. Additionally, IL-6 serum level was assessed in relation to IL-6 genotype and clinical variables. The study included 254 unrelated patients with BCC and of mean age 70.39 ± 11.43 (69.83 ± 12.32 women, 71.03 ± 10.31 men) and 198 healthy, unrelated age- and sex-matched volunteers. IL-6 and STAT3 polymorphisms were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers (SSP-PCR). Serum concentration of IL-6 was measured using the ELISA test. We have found that the presence of C allele in rs1800795 IL-6 gene polymorphism was associated with increased risk of BCC (aOR 1.86; 95% CI 1.22–2.84; p = 0.004). The presence of CC genotype in STAT3 rs2293152 polymorphism was associated with increased BCC risk in recessive model analysis (aOR 3.94; 95% CI 1.59–9.77; p = 0.003). In contrast, the presence of GC genotype in overdominant model was associated with decreased risk of BCC (aOR = 0.24; 95% CI 0.12–0.49; p < 0.0001). The presence of C allele in STAT3 rs2293152 polymorphism was associated with increased risk of BCC (aOR 1.31; 95% CI 1.01–1.69; p = 0.04). The presence of GG genotype in STAT3 rs4796793 polymorphism was associated with increased BCC risk in recessive model analysis (aOR 3.66; 95% CI 1.33–10.10; p = 0.012). The presence of G allele in STAT3 rs4796793 polymorphism was associated with increased risk of BCC (aOR 1.59; 95% CI 1.01–2.49; p = 0.04). IL-6 serum level positively correlated with the tumor size.

Associations Between IL-10 Polymorphisms and Susceptibility to Melanoma, Basal Cell Carcinoma, and Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

According to relevant reports, interleukin-10 (IL-10), as a multifunctional anti-inflammatory cytokine, has a critical influence in cancer development. A meta-analysis was carried out regarding the relationships among the -592 A/C, -1082 G/A, and -819 T/C polymorphisms as well as the susceptibility to skin squamous cell carcinoma (sSCC), melanoma, and basal cell carcinoma (BCC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A meta-analysis was carried out on the inter-relationships among the -592 A/C, IL-10-1082 G/A, and -819 T/C polymorphisms as well as the susceptibility to sSCC, melanoma, and BCC.

RESULTS

In this analysis, a total of 11 researches, involving 2149 controls and 2128 cases, were included. No association was found between skin cancer risk and the -592A/C or IL-10-1082G/A polymorphisms in any of the analyses. However, a moderately decreased skin cancer risk was found in the -819 TC versus CC model (odds ratio [OR] = 0.81 and 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.67-0.99, p = 0.04). From the subgroup analysis, a decreased risk was found between the studies of nonmelanoma skin cancers and IL-10-819T/C in the dominant model (OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.43-0.85, p = 0.004 for TT+TC vs. CC). Egger's and Begg's tests demonstrated that there was no significant publication bias.

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis showed that the -592A/C and 1082G/A IL-10 polymorphisms might not be risk factors for melanoma or for BCC and sSCC patients, but we obtained a correlation between skin cancer risk and the IL-10 -819T/C polymorphism.

Synthetic analysis of associations between IL-10 polymorphisms and skin cancer risk

The current study was designed to quantitatively summarize the evidence for the strength of the associations between common IL-10 functional polymorphisms and skin cancer risk. Relevant publications concerning the associations between common IL-10 functional polymorphisms(−1082G>A, −819C>T and −592C>A) and skin cancer were retrieved by a comprehensive electronic literature search in PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM). The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were utilized to assess the strength of the relationship. A total of 26 studies including 4090 cases and 4133 controls (−1082G>A, 10 studies with 1809 cases and 1830 controls; −819C>T, 7 studies with 862 cases and 957 controls; −592C>A, 9 studies with 1419 cases and 1346 controls) were enrolled in the meta-analysis. Overall, the results revealed a borderline decreased risk of skin cancer in heterozygote model (OR = 0.82, 95CI = 0.67–1.00, p = 0.05). The subgroup analysis also presented similar association for non-melanoma skin cancer in heterozygote model (OR = 0.67, 95CI = 0.50–0.91, p = 0.01). Moreover, the further analysis based on the histological type of non-melanoma skin cancer indicated a significantly decreased risk of BCC in allele model (OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.50–0.91, p = 0.02) and dominant model (OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.48–0.98, p = 0.04). However, neither overall analysis nor subgroup analysis based on cancer subtype revealed a significant association of −1082G>A or −592C>A polymorphisms with skin cancer. The present study suggested a potential association between IL-10 −819C>T polymorphism and decreased risk of skin cancer, but a lack of association for −1082G>A and −592C>A polymorphisms. Further invalidation is urgently needed.

The role of regulatory T cells and genes involved in their differentiation in pathogenesis of selected inflammatory and neoplastic skin diseases. Part III: Polymorphisms of genes involved in Tregs' activation and function

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) represent a cell type that promotes immune tolerance to autologous components and maintains immune system homeostasis. The abnormal function of Tregs is relevant to the pathogenesis of several skin diseases like psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, and skin cancer and is also important in rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and other autoimmune diseases. In this review, we will summarize the role of mutations and/or polymorphisms of genes involved in Tregs development, and functions in the pathogenesis of selected skin diseases.

The influence of marital status on the stage at diagnosis, treatment, and survival of adult patients with gastric cancer: a population-based study

Background & Aims

Marital status was reported as a prognostic factor in many cancers. However, its role in gastric cancer (GC) hasn't been thoroughly explored. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of marital status on survival, stage, treatment, and survival in subgroups.

Methods

We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database and identified 16910 GC patients. These patients were categorized into married (58.44%) and unmarred (41.56%) groups. Pearson chi-square, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney, Log-rank, multivariate Cox regression, univariate and multivariate binomial or multinomial logistic regression analysis were used in our analysis. Subgroup analyses of married versus unmarried patients were summarized in a forest plot.

Results

Married patients had better 5-year overall survival (OS) (32.09% VS 24.61%, P<0.001) and 5-year cancer-caused special survival (CSS) (37.74% VS 32.79%, P<0.001) than unmarried ones. Then we studied several underlying mechanisms. Firstly, married patients weren't in earlier stage at diagnosis (P=0.159). Secondly, married patients were more likely to receive surgery (P < 0.001) or radiotherapy (P < 0.001) compared with the unmarried. Thirdly, in subgroup analyses, married patients still had survival advantage in subgroups with stage II-IV and no radiotherapy.

Conclusions

These results showed that marital status was an independently prognostic factor for both OS and CSS in GC patients. Undertreatment and lack of social support in unmarried patients were potential explanations. With the knowledge of heterogeneous effects of marriage in subgroups, we can target unmarried patients with better social support, especially who are diagnosed at late stage and undergo no treatment.

IL6-174 G>C Polymorphism (rs1800795) Association with Late Effects of Low Dose Radiation Exposure in the Portuguese Tinea Capitis Cohort

Head and neck cancers, and cardiovascular disease have been described as late effects of low dose radiation (LDR) exposure, namely in tinea capitis cohorts. In addition to radiation dose, gender and younger age at exposure, the genetic background might be involved in the susceptibility to LDR late effects. The -174 G>C (rs1800795) SNP in IL6 has been associated with cancer and cardiovascular disease, nevertheless this association is still controversial. We assessed the association of the IL6-174 G>C SNP with LDR effects such as thyroid carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and carotid atherosclerosis in the Portuguese tinea capitis cohort. The IL6-174 G>C SNP was genotyped in 1269 individuals formerly irradiated for tinea capitis. This sampling group included thyroid cancer (n = 36), basal cell carcinoma (n = 113) and cases without thyroid or basal cell carcinoma (1120). A subgroup was assessed for atherosclerosis by ultrasonography (n = 379) and included matched controls (n = 222). Genotypes were discriminated by real-time PCR using a TaqMan SNP genotyping assay. In the irradiated group, we observed that the CC genotype was significantly associated with carotid plaque risk, both in the genotypic (OR = 3.57, CI = 1.60–7.95, p-value = 0.002) and in the recessive (OR = 3.02, CI = 1.42–6.42, p-value = 0.004) models. Irradiation alone was not a risk factor for carotid atherosclerosis. We did not find a significant association of the IL6-174 C allele with thyroid carcinoma or basal cell carcinoma risk. The IL6-174 CC genotype confers a three-fold risk for carotid atherosclerotic disease suggesting it may represent a genetic susceptibility factor in the LDR context.

Association between CD14 SNP -159 C/T and gastric cancer: an independent case-control study and an updated meta-analysis

PURPOSE

The association between CD14 -159C/T polymorphism and the susceptibility to gastric cancer (GC) has been reported. However, the results were inconclusive. In the present study, a case-control study and a meta-analysis were performed to assess the possible association between -159C/T in the CD14 gene and GC risk.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Relevant studies were searched in several databases including PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure database, and Wanfang database (last search was performed on December 30, 2015). In addition, a case-control study involving 164 GC cases and 169 controls was also performed in the analysis. Statistical analysis was performed by the software Revman5.3.

RESULTS

A total of ten published studies and the present case-control study involving 2,844 GC and 3,983 controls were included for the meta-analysis. The analysis result indicated that the T allele of CD14 -159C/T polymorphism did not confer risk for GC (in our study: [P=0.93]; in the meta-analysis: T vs 2N odds ratio =1.28 and 95% confidence interval (CI) =0.95-1.24, [P=0.24]). However, we found a significant association in the recessive model (in our study: TT vs TC+CC [P=0.04]; in the meta-analysis: TT vs TC+CC odds ratio =1.12 and 95% CI =1.01-1.26, [P=0.04]). Furthermore, a subgroup analysis by ethnicity showed that TT genotype was significantly associated with GC in Asian (odds ratio =1.17 and 95% CI =1.02-1.34, [P=0.02]) but not in Caucasian.

CONCLUSION

Our results highlight the TT genotype of CD14 -159C/T as a genetic susceptibility factor for gastric cancer, particularly, in Asians and population-based controls.

Clinical significance of IL-2 and IL-10 gene polymorphisms and serum levels in patients with basal-cell carcinoma

Materials & methods: Polymorphic variants of IL-2 gene (-330 T/G and +166 G/T), IL-10 gene (-1082 G/A and -819 C/T) and serum cytokines concentrations in the group of 179 patients with BCC and 173 controls were analyzed. Results: The presence of the IL-2 -330 GG genotype or IL-10 -1082 GA increased the risk of BCC (OR 3.68) (OR 3.07). IL-10 -1082 AA or GA and IL-2 -330 GG genotype increased the risk of BCC (OR 9.63). IL-2 serum levels were significantly lower (p < 0.0004) in BCC patients while IL-10 concentration was significantly higher (p < 0.00001). Conclusion: The polymorphisms in IL-2 and IL-10 genes may contribute to BCC susceptibility and influence the clinical course of BCC in polish population.

Association of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene insertion/deletion polymorphism with decreased risk for basal cell carcinoma

The incidence of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is significantly reduced in individuals treated with inhibitors of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) that produces angiotensin II. The objective of this study was to investigate the possible association of a functional polymorphism in the ACE gene, which affects its transcription, with risk for BCC. In DNA samples of 92 patients with BCC and 103 healthy controls of Greek origin and comparable age and gender, we studied the ACE gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism. Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of allele and genotype frequencies between the control and patients' groups. The detected low expression I allele frequency in the group of BCC patients was significantly decreased compared to controls (15.8 vs. 31.1 %, respectively; P = 0.001). ID heterozygotes exhibited 3.06 times lower BCC risk, compared with DD homozygotes (P = 0.001; OR = 0.327, 95 % CI = 0.174-0.615). The protective role of I allele was particularly prominent in women (P = 0.007, OR = 0.299, 95 % CI = 0.125-0.716), while for men it exhibited a marginal level (P = 0.041). These findings indicate that the low expression ACE I allele carriers have a decreased risk for BCC. The protective effect of the ID genotype against BCC may be explained by a possible underlying mechanism involving the effect of produced angiotensin II levels on its receptors due to putatively different binding affinity.

Integrating pathway analysis and genetics of gene expression for genome-wide association study of basal cell carcinoma

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have primarily focused on marginal effects for individual markers and have incorporated external functional information only after identifying robust statistical associations. We applied a new approach combining the genetics of gene expression and functional classification of genes to the GWAS of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) to identify potential biological pathways associated with BCC. We first identified 322,324 expression-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (eSNPs) from two existing GWASs of global gene expression in lymphoblastoid cell lines (n = 955), and evaluated the association of these functionally annotated SNPs with BCC among 2,045 BCC cases and 6,013 controls in Caucasians. We then grouped them into 99 KEGG pathways for pathway analysis and identified two pathways associated with BCC with p value <0.05 and false discovery rate (FDR) <0.5: the autoimmune thyroid disease pathway (mainly HLA class I and II antigens, p < 0.001, FDR = 0.24) and Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling pathway (p = 0.02, FDR = 0.49). Seventy-nine (25.7%) out of 307 significant eSNPs in the JAK-STAT pathway were associated with BCC risk (p < 0.05) in an independent replication set of 278 BCC cases and 1,262 controls. In addition, the association of JAK-STAT signaling pathway was marginally validated using 16,691 eSNPs identified from 110 normal skin samples (p = 0.08). Based on the evidence of biological functions of the JAK-STAT pathway on oncogenesis, it is plausible that this pathway is involved in BCC pathogenesis.

The interleukin-10-1082 promoter polymorphism and cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a multifunctional cytokine with both immunosuppressive and anti-angiogenic properties and play an important role in the pathogenesis of cancer. IL-10-1082A>G polymorphism is the most extensively studied polymorphism in the IL-10 gene in cancer susceptibility. To date, a number of case-control studies were conducted to investigate the association between IL-10-1082A>G polymorphism and cancer risk in humans. However, the association between the IL-10-1082A>G polymorphism and cancer risk is still ambiguous. In an effort to solve this controversy, we performed a meta-analysis based on 61 case-control studies, including 14,499 cancer cases and 16,967 controls. We used odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the strength of the association. In the stratified analyses by specific cancer type, increased risk was found in lung cancer (OR = 3.16, 95% CI = 1.16-8.63 for GA versus AA; OR = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.16-3.70 for GG versus AA; OR = 3.17, 95% CI = 1.31-7.68 for GA/GG versus AA) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.02-1.36 for GA versus AA; OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.02-1.35 for GA/GG versus AA). The meta-analysis also indicated that the variant genotypes were associated with a moderately increased risk in Asians in all genetic models (OR = 1.80, 95% CI = 1.17-2.76 for GA versus AA; OR = 3.32, 95% CI = 1.62-6.82 for GG versus AA; OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.07-2.60 for GA/GG versus AA; OR= 2.93, 95% CI = 1.43-6.03 for GG versus AA/GA). The meta-analysis suggested that the IL-10-1082A>G polymorphism was associated with increased risk of cancer in Asians and lung cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. To draw comprehensive and true conclusions, more researches with larger numbers of worldwide participants are needed to examine associations between IL-10-1082A>G polymorphism and cancer risk.

Analysis of the 3'UTR of the prostaglandin synthetase-2 (PTGS-2/COX-2) gene in non-melanoma skin cancer after organ transplantation

To define the potential involvement of polymorphisms in the 3'untranslated region (3'UTR) of the prostaglandin synthetase-2 (PTGS-2) gene to non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) predisposition after transplantation, we screened for genetic variant, relevant parts of this region. It contains binding sites for trans-acting factors, an alternative polyadenylation site and putative target sequences for miRNAs. Variant +8473T>C did not appear to play a functional role in the regulation of gene expression in human keratinocyte-transfected cells. In addition to the well-known +8473T>C, we identified four polymorphisms: +8293G>C, +10259T>G, +10267G>A and +10335G>A. No allele frequency differences were observed between cases and controls neither for +8473T>C nor for any of the identified polymorphisms, suggesting that polymorphisms in the 3'UTR of the PTGS2 gene are rare and unlikely to represent risk factor for NMSC after transplantation.

Interaction between functional polymorphic variants in cytokine genes, established risk factors and susceptibility to basal cell carcinoma of skin

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin is the most common neoplasm among the Caucasian population of the Western world. Inflammation may result in oxidative stress and contribute to promotion and progression of tumors, including BCC. The role of cytokines, which are inflammatory modulators, in the biology of tumors has been extensively studied and it is well known that they are aberrantly produced by cancer cells, macrophages and other phagocytic cells. Genetic polymorphisms are known in several cytokine genes, which result in altered expression. In the present association study, we investigated the association of 14 functional polymorphisms in 11 cytokines genes with BCC risk in 529 BCC cases and 532 healthy controls. We have also tested the possible interactions between the genetic variants and three known risk factors for BCC: skin complexion, sun effect and skin response to sun exposure. We did not observe any statistically significant association between SNPs and BCC risk. However, we found that, in a subgroup of subjects more prone to skin burns, carriers of at least one copy of the G allele of rs1800629 (TNF) had an increased risk of BCC [odds ratio (OR) = 2.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.38-4.16, P = 0.0005]. Moreover, in subjects less prone to sunburns, we observed that carriers of the C allele of rs1143627 (IL1B) showed a decreased risk (OR = 0.53, 95% CI 0.34-0.82, P = 0.0019). In conclusion, we found that two polymorphisms in inflammatory genes interacting with environmental risk factors could modulate BCC risk.

Genetic determinants of UV-susceptibility in non-melanoma skin cancer

A milieu of cytokines and signaling molecules are involved in the induction of UV-induced immune suppression and thus the etiology of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). Targeting the UV-induced immunosuppression pathway, and using a large population based study of NMSC, we have investigated the risk associated with functional variants in 10 genes (IL10, IL4, IL4R, TNF, TNFR2, HTR2A, HRH2, IL12B, PTGS2, and HAL). The most prominent single genetic effect was observed for IL10. There was increasing risk for both basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with increasing number of variant IL10 haplotypes (BCC: p_trend = 0.0048; SCC: p_trend = 0.031). Having two IL10 GC haplotypes was associated with increased odds ratios of BCC and SCC (OR_BCC = 1.5, 95% CI 1.1–1.9; OR_SCC = 1.4, 95% CI 1.0–1.9), and these associations were largely confined to women (OR_BCC = 2.2, 95% CI 1.4–3.4; SCC: OR_SCC = 1.8, 95% CI 1.1–3.0). To examine how combinations of these variants contribute to risk of BCC and SCC, we used multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) and classification and regression trees (CART). Results from both of these methods found that in men, a combination of skin type, burns, IL10, IL4R, and possibly TNFR2 were important in both BCC and SCC. In women, skin type, burns, and IL10 were the most critical risk factors in SCC, with risk of BCC involving these same factors plus genetic variants in HTR2A, IL12B and IL4R. These data suggest differential genetic susceptibility to UV-induced immune suppression and skin cancer risk by gender.

Vitamin D-binding protein polymorphisms are not associated with development of (multiple) basal cell carcinomas

Vitamin D-binding protein (VDBP) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) may affect skin carcinogenesis. The objective was to test the association between two functional VDBP SNPs and the susceptibility to (multiple) basal cell carcinomas (BCCs). Of the 7983 participants, 5790 (72.5%) and 5823 (72.9%) participants were genotyped for rs7041 and rs4588, respectively, and three haplotypes (Gc1s, Gc2 and Gc1f) were analysed. Two hundred and thirty-three persons developed a BCC of whom 122 (52.4%) developed multiple BCCs during a mean follow-up of 11.6 years. The VDBP genotype was not associated with (multiple) BCC development using Cox proportional hazards and Andersen-Gill analyses, respectively. Stratifying age groups demonstrated that in the youngest age-group, the A/T variant of rs7041 was associated with BCC development [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 1.88 (95%CI 1.10-3.20)], while homozygote Gc1s carriers had a significantly lower BCC risk [adjusted HR = 0.53 (95%CI 0.31-0.91)]. In conclusion, the VDBP polymorphisms were not associated with susceptibility to (multiple) BCCs, but age-gene interactions were observed.

Is interleukin-1 genotyping useful for the clinical management of patients with atrophic body gastritis?

BACKGROUND

Atrophic body gastritis patients are at increased risk for gastric cancer. IL-1B/IL-1RN polymorphisms have been associated with gastric cancer susceptibility. The relationship between these polymorphisms and the long-term outcome of atrophic body gastritis patients is not known.

AIM

To investigate whether the genotyping of IL-1B-511/IL-1RN polymorphisms is useful to characterize atrophic body gastritis patients at increased risk for gastric neoplasms.

METHODS

IL-1B-511/IL-1RN polymorphisms were compared between 110 atrophic body gastritis patients and 110 age- and gender-matched controls, and patients were followed up (median 4.1 years) according to a cohort study design.

RESULTS

Genotype frequencies of IL-1B-511/IL-1RN were similar between patients and controls. Atrophic body gastritis patients harbouring the wild type of IL-1B-511/IL-1RN polymorphisms were not different from those harbouring the proinflammatory pattern as far as regards gender, age, gastric cancer family history and metaplastic atrophy. Sixteen atrophic body gastritis patients developed a gastric neoplastic lesion at follow-up: eight were IL-1B-511-T carriers and eight were IL-1RN-allele-2 carriers. Harbouring the proinflammatory genotypes was not significantly associated with developing gastric neoplastic lesions.

CONCLUSIONS

In atrophic body gastritis patients, IL-1B-511 and IL-1RN polymorphisms do not appear to be associated either with specific clinical, biochemical or histological features or with the development of gastric neoplastic lesions at long-term follow-up.