Genetic polymorphism of tumor necrosis factor promoter region and susceptibility to develop Hodgkin lymphoma in a Mexican population

Analysis of Mutational Status of IGHV, and Cytokine Polymorphisms as Prognostic Factors in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: The Romanian Experience

The aim of the current study was to assess the associations between genetic risk factors (such as the mutational status of the IGHV gene and polymorphisms of the IL-10 and TNF-α genes) and CLL risk, prognosis, and overall survival. Another goal of this study was to evaluate the multivariate effect of the combination of multiple genetic risk factors (mutational status of the IGHV gene, somatic mutations, DNA CNVs, and cytokine SNPs) on the clinical characteristics and survival of patients. A total of 125 CLL patients and 239 healthy controls were included for comparative SNP analysis. IL-10 (rs1800896 and rs1800872) and TNF-α (rs361525 and rs1800750) SNPs and haplotypes were not associated with CLL risk. The absence of hypermutation in the IGHV gene was shown to be of important prognostic value, being associated with short OS. Further individual risk factors for short OS were an age above 65 years at diagnosis and the presence of somatic mutations and/or CNVs. In our multivariable analysis, the presence of somatic mutations and the IL-10 rs1800872 variant allele, and the association of CNVs with the IL-10 rs1800896 variant allele, were identified as risk factors for short OS. Moreover, the OS in unmutated IGHV patients was additionally affected (decreased) by the presence of CNVs and/or somatic mutations. Similarly, IL-10 rs1800896 modulated the OS in unmutated IGHV patients with CNVs.

Malaria and Cancer: a critical review on the established associations and new perspectives

Objectives

Cancer and malaria both have high incidence rates and are leading causes of mortality worldwide, especially in low and middle-income countries with reduced access to the quality healthcare. The objective of this critical review was to summarize key associations and new perspectives between the two diseases as is reported in existing literature.

Methods

A critical review of research articles published between 1st January 2000 – 1st July 2020 which yielded 1753 articles. These articles were screened based on a precise inclusion criteria. Eighty-nine eligible articles were identified and further evaluated.

Results

Many articles reported anti-cancer activities of anti-malarial medicines, including Artemisinin and its derivatives. Other articles investigated the use of chemotherapy in areas burdened by malaria, treatment complications that malaria may cause for cancer patients as well as ways to circumvent cancer related drug resistance. Potential novel targets for cancer treatment, were identified namely oncofoetal chondroitin sulphate and haem, as well as the use of circumsporozoite proteins. A number of articles also discussed Burkitt lymphoma or febrile neutropenia.

Conclusions

Overall, excluding for Burkitt lymphoma, the relationship between cancer and malaria requires further extensive research in order to define association. There great potential promising new novel anti-cancer therapies using anti-malarial drugs.

Graphical abstract

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SNPs in genes encoding for IL-10, TNF-α, and NFκB p105/p50 are associated with clinical prognostic factors for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma

Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is a B-cell-derived malignant neoplasia that has a unique histological distribution, in which the scarce malignant Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells are surrounded by nonmalignant inflammatory cells. The interactions between the malignant and inflammatory cells are mediated by aberrantly produced cytokines, which play an important role in tumor immunopathogenesis. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes encoding cytokines and their regulatory proteins may influence the peripheral levels of these molecules and affect disease’s pathobiology. In this study, we evaluate SNPs in the promoter regions of the genes encoding for two key cytokines in Hodgkin lymphoma: IL-10 (SNP/pIL10–592, rs1800872; and SNP/pIL10–1082, rs1800896) and TNF-α (SNP/pTNF -238, rs361525; and SNP/pTNF -862, rs1800630), as well as an SNP in the intronic region of the NFκB1 gene (SNP/iNFKB1, rs1585215), an important regulator of cytokine gene expression. We then look to their possible association with clinical and laboratory features in cHL patients. Seventy-three patients with cHL are genotyped by qPCR-high resolution melting. The SNPs’ genotypes are analyzed individually for each SNP, and when more than two allelic combinations are identified, the genotypes are also divided into two groups according to proposed biological relevance. By univariate analysis, patients harboring SNP/pTNF -238 AG genotype more frequently have EBV-associated cHL compared to homozygous GG, whereas the presence of mediastinal disease (bulky and nonbulky) is more common in the pIL10–592 AC/CC group compared to the AA homozygous group. Patients with SNP/iNFKB1 AA genotype more frequently have stage IV and extranodal disease at diagnosis. These results indicate that some SNPs’ genotypes for IL-10 and TNF-α genes are associated with prognostic parameters in cHL. For the first time, the SNP/iNFKB1 is described in association with clinical features of the disease.

Cytokine rs361525, rs1800750, rs1800629, rs1800896, rs1800872, rs1800795, rs1800470, and rs2430561 SNPs in relation with prognostic factors in acute myeloid leukemia

BACKGROUND

Cytokines were correlated with survival and disease progression in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We aimed to evaluate the multivariate effect of TNF-α rs361525, rs1800750, rs1800629, IL-10 rs1800896, rs1800872, IL-6 rs1800795, TGF-β1 rs1800470, IFN-γ rs2430561 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on AML risk, the multivariate effect of SNPs on overall survival (OS) in AML and the association between the investigated SNPs and prognostic factors in AML.

METHODS

All SNPs were genotyped in 226 adult AML cases and 406 healthy individuals. AML patients were investigated for FLT3 (ITD, D835), DNMT3A (R882), and NPM1 type A mutations.

RESULTS

Univariate analysis revealed that age above 65 years had a negative influence on survival (P < .001). The presence of the rs1800750 variant genotype (P = .005) or FLT3-ITD mutation (P = .009) in a cytogenetic high-risk group (P = .003) negatively influenced OS. A negative association was observed between Eastern Cooperative Oncologic Group Scale status > 2, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, platelet (PLT) count <40 000 cells/mm3 , and OS. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the presence of the rs1800750 variant genotype was a risk factor for death (P = .007), and that blast percentage, LDH level (≥600 IU/L), and cytogenetic high-risk were independent significant predictors for death in AML (P = .04, corrected HR = 1.20; P = .022, corrected HR = 1.24; P = .021, corrected HR = 1.34, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Age above 65 years, PLT count, TNF-α rs1800750 variant genotype, blast percentage, LDH level, and cytogenetic high-risk may be used as independent risk factors to assess AML mortality.

Association of TNF-Alpha gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to hepatitis B virus infection in Egyptians

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is one of the important cytokine in generating an immune response against hepatitis B virus (HBV). Genetic polymorphisms might influence gene transcription, leading to disturbance in cytokine production. We hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) in TNF-α gene could affect the pathogenesis of HBV. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the role of TNF-α polymorphism [-863C/A (rs1800630), -308G/A (rs1800629), -376G/A (rs1800750), -857C/T (rs1799724) and +489G/A (rs1800610)] in the susceptibility to chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection. Polymorphisms of the TNF-α (-863C/A (rs1800630), -308G/A) were analyzed by Polymerase chain reaction sequence specific primer (PCR-SSP) while TNF-α (-376G/A, -857C/T and +489G/A) by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 104 patients with CHB and 104 healthy controls. The plasma level of TNF-α was measured using Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The study showed a significant increase in the frequency of -863CC, -376GA, -857CC, -857TT and +489GA genotypes and -863C, -376A, -857C, and +489A alleles in CHB patients compared to controls. In addition, CAGCG haplotype had a highest frequency in CHB patients. A strong Linkage Disequilibrium (LD) between TNF-α -863C/A (rs1800630) and -376G/A (D' = 0.7888, r² = 0.0200); -308G/A and -857C/T (D' = 0.9213, r² = 0.1770); -308G/A and +489G/A (D' = 0.9088, r² = 0.1576) was demonstrated. CHB patients had significantly lower levels of TNF-α compared to controls. In conclusion, our preliminary results suggest that -863C/A (rs1800630), -308G/A, -376G/A, and +489G/A of the TNF-α gene may play a role in HBV susceptibility in Egyptians. The significant reduction in TNF-α in CHB patient was independent of any particular genotype/haplotype in TNF-α.

Candidate gene association studies and risk of Hodgkin lymphoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

To evaluate the contribution of association studies of candidate polymorphisms to inherited predisposition to Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of published case-control studies. Of the variants examined more than once in candidate gene association studies, we identified 21 studies that reported on 12 polymorphic variants in 10 genes. Data were also extracted from a published genome wide association study to allow analysis of an additional 47 variants in a further 30 genes. Promising associations were seen in nine of the variants (p < 0.05). Given that the estimated false positive report probabilities (FPRPs) for all associations are high (i.e. FPRP > 0.2), these findings should be interpreted with caution. While studies of candidate polymorphisms may be an attractive means of identifying risk factors for HL, future studies should employ sample sizes adequately powered to identify variants having only modest effects on HL risk. Furthermore, because of aetiological heterogeneity within HL, stratification of genotyping according to age, tumour Epstein-Barr virus status and histology is essential. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.