Interleukin 2 gene polymorphisms are associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is the most common hematologic malignancy worldwide. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) plays a key role in the proliferation of T cells and natural killer cells. It has been reported that polymorphisms in the IL-2 gene are associated with various cancers. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of polymorphisms in the IL-2 gene on the development of NHL in the Chinese population. IL-2-330T/G and +114T/G polymorphisms were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in 438 NHL cases and 482 age-matched healthy controls. Data were analyzed using the Chi-square test. Results showed that individuals with -330TG genotype or -330GG genotype had significantly increased susceptibility to NHL (Odds ratio [OR] = 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-1.85, p = 0.020 and OR = 2.04, 95%CI: 1.28-3.24, p = 0.002). Meanwhile, the +114T/G polymorphism did not show any correlation with NHL. When analyzing the haplotypes of these two polymorphisms, the prevalence of -330G/+114T haplotype was significantly higher in NHL cases than in controls (OR = 1.45, 95%CI: 1.12-1.88, p = 0.005). These data indicate that IL-2 gene polymorphisms may be new risk factors for NHL.     

Interleukin-4 -590T/C polymorphism influences the susceptibility to nonsmall cell lung cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for most of these cases. Interleukin 4 (IL-4) is a typical pleiotropic T helper 2 cytokine and plays crucial roles in tumor immunology. IL-4 gene -590T/C polymorphism has been shown to be associated with different autoimmune diseases and cancers. The present study evaluated the correlation between this polymorphism and the susceptibility to NSCLC in the Chinese population. The IL-4 variant -590T/C was detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in 1072 NSCLC cases and 1126 age-matched healthy controls. Data were analyzed using the Chi-square test. Results showed that frequencies of IL-4 -590 TC, CC genotype, and -590 C allele were significantly lower in patients with NSCLC than in healthy controls (odds ratio [OR]=0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.64-0.93, p=0.006; OR=0.54, 95% CI 0.38-0.76, p=0.0004; and OR=0.72, 95% CI 0.62-0.83, p=1.1 × 10(-5), respectively). Our data suggest that the -590T/C polymorphism of the IL-4 gene is associated with a decreased susceptibility to NSCLC.     

Dopamine D1 receptor gene polymorphism is associated with myocardial infarction

Dopamine D1 receptor (DRD1) gene is associated with the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction (MI) in aspects of plaque rupture, platelet aggregation, and neutrophil-mediated injury of cardiac myocytes. Thus, the study was designed to explore whether the A-48G polymorphism of the DRD1 gene was associated with MI. The genotype of the DRD1A-48G polymorphism was determined by polymerase chain reaction in the 602 Han Chinese participants, 255 MI patients and 347 controls without MI. A significant association was found between the A-48G polymorphism of DRD1 and MI (genotype model: χ(2)=13.2, unadjusted p=0.001; χ(2)=13.9, adjusted p=0.0002; dominant model: adjusted OR 2.05, 95%CI 1.40-3.00, p=0.0002; recessive model: adjusted OR 2.34, 95%CI 1.01-5.39, p=0.047). The G allele was a risk-increased allele for MI (unadjusted OR 1.83, 95%CI 1.34-2.50, p=0.0001; adjusted OR 1.94, 95%CI 1.40-2.68, p=0.00007). Thus, the study demonstrated the significant association between A-48G polymorphism of the DRD1 gene and MI.     

Association of interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-27 gene polymorphisms with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a Chinese population

The pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not fully understood, and environment and genetic factors have been investigated. Moreover, cytokine genes play an important role in COPD pathogenesis. However, the molecular mechanism of COPD induced by the factors is still unknown. The present study was undertaken to clarify a role of interleukin (IL)-12 16974A/C and IL-27 4730T/C, -964A/G, and 2905T/G polymorphisms in Chinese subjects with COPD. Polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR/RFLP) and sequence analyses were used to type IL-12 and IL-27 polymorphisms in 120 patients with COPD and 100 healthy controls. There were significant differences in the genotype and allele distribution of -964A/G and 2905T/G polymorphisms of the IL-27 gene among cases and controls in a Chinese population. When compared with the control group, subjects with AG genotype of the IL-27 -964A/G had a 2.22-fold decreased risk of COPD (odds ratio [OR] = 0.450, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.245-0.826; p = 0.009), and subjects with TG genotype of the IL-27 2905T/G had a 2.85-fold decreased risk of COPD (OR = 0.351, 95% CI: 0.137-0.899; p = 0.024). Compared with the TAT haplotype, the TGG haplotype was associated with a significantly decreased risk of COPD (OR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.108-0.784; p = 0.010). Even after Bonferroni corrections, significant associations with COPD were observed for the AG genotype of the IL-27 -964A/G and the TGG haplotype of the IL-27 gene. Our data suggest that polymorphisms in the IL-27 gene may play a role in the development of COPD in Chinese population.     

白介素-10-819 C/C和肿瘤坏死因子-α-1031 C/C/基因型与胃十二指肠疾病易感性的关系

目的分析人群中IL-10-819 C/C和TNF-α-1031 C/C基因型与胃十二指肠疾病的关系,确定携带以上该基因型的的人群罹患胃十二指肠疾病易感性的风险性。为临床诊断和预防这些疾病提供新的思路和方法。方法选取H.pylori阳性的48例慢性胃炎患者,46例十二指肠溃疡患者,51例胃溃疡患者,43例胃癌患者和100例健康对照者,2种基因型分别采用普通PCR和多重引物特异PCR法检测。结果在胃炎组中TNF-A-1031各基因型的频率(T/T,50%;T/C,40%;C/C,10%)与对照组(T/T,73%;T/C,25%;C/C,2%)比较,分布差异有统计学意义(χ2=9.975,P0.05)。在胃溃疡组中TNF-A-1031各基因型的频率(T/T,49%;T/C,43%;C/C,8%)与对照组(T/T,73%;T/C,25%;C/C,2%)比较,分布差异有统计学意义(χ2=9.464,P0.001)。在十二指肠溃疡组中TNF-A-1031各基因型的频率(T/T,72%;T/C,26%;C/C,2%)与对照组(T/T,73%;T/C,25%;C/C,2%)比较,分布差异有统计学意义(χ2=9.840,P0.05)。在胃癌组中TNF-A-1031各基因型的频率(T/T,50%;T/C,41%;C/C,9%)与对照组(T/T,73%;T/C,25%;C/C,2%)比较,分布差异有统计学意义(χ2=9.335,P0.001);Logistic回归分析与携带TNF-A-1031 T/T者比较,携带TNF-A-1031 C/C者发生胃炎的危险性为OR=7.60(95%CI:1.38-41.77);与携带TNF-A-1031 T/T者比较,携带TNF-A-1031 C/C者发生胃溃疡的危险性为OR=5.84(95%CI:1.00-33.84);与携带TNF-A-1031 T/T者比较,携带TNF-A-1031 C/C者发生十二指肠溃疡的危险性为OR=7.94(95%CI:1.44-43.67);与携带TNF-A-1031 T/T者比较,携带TNF-A-1031 C/C者发生胃癌的危险性为OR=6.95(95%CI:1.19-40.63)。在疾病组和对照组中IL-10-819的各基因型频率的分布差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论 TNF-α-1031基因多态性与胃炎、胃溃疡、十二指肠、胃癌的易感性相关。     

Glutathione S-transferase M1, T1 and P1 polymorphisms and bladder cancer risk in Egyptians

Previous studies suggest that bladder cancer risk may vary with GST genotype but these results are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to explore whether GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTP polymorphisms were associated with increased bladder cancer risk in an Egyptian population. GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTP1 genotype frequencies were determined in bladder cancer cases (n=72) and healthy controls with no history of malignancies (n=82) using PCR-based techniques. The GSTT1*2 genotype was particularly associated with increased risk (OR 2.71, 95%CI 1.27-5.73) and the GSTM1*2 genotype to a lesser extent (OR 1.63, 95%CI 0.85-3.10). 18.1% of cases but only 7.3% of controls were GSTP1*B*B homozygotes (OR 2.38, 95%CI 0.83-6.87). The presence of two or more a priori at-risk genotypes was associated with increased bladder cancer risk (OR 2.42; 95%CI 1.47-3.97). These results suggest that polymorphisms in the GST genes are associated with increased risk of bladder cancer among Egyptians.     

Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 +49G/A polymorphism and susceptibility to pancreatic cancer

Although pancreatic cancer has been extensively studied, few risk factors have been identified. Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) plays important roles in downregulating T-cell activation, thereby attenuating antitumor responses and increasing cancer susceptibility. The CTLA-4 gene +49G/A polymorphism (rs231775) has been reported to be associated with various cancers. The current study evaluated the association of the CTLA-4 gene +49G/A polymorphism with pancreatic cancer in the Chinese population. Six hundred and two pancreatic cancer patients and 651 healthy controls were investigated for CTLA-4 +49G/A polymorphism by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Data showed that prevalence of CTLA-4 gene +49 AA genotype and +49 A allele was significantly higher in pancreatic patients compared to controls (odds ratio [OR]=2.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23-2.95, p=0.007; OR=1.32, 95% CI: 1.03-1.69, p=0.029; and OR=1.47, 95% CI: 1.03-2.09, p=0.033). These results indicate that the CTLA-4 +49G/A polymorphism is associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer.     

CD86 +1057G/A polymorphism and susceptibility to Ewing's sarcoma: a case-control study

The development of Ewing's sarcoma (ES) is a complex process resulting from interplay between mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressors, host susceptibility factors, and cellular context. CD86 (B7-2) may affect cancer susceptibility by modulating T cell response. CD86 +1057G/A polymorphism (rs1129055) has been reported to be associated with various diseases. Here, we investigated the association between CD86 +1057G/A polymorphism and the risk of ES in a Chinese population. The CD86 +1057G/A polymorphism was detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in 158 ES cases and 212 age-matched healthy controls. Frequencies of CD86 +1057 AA genotype and +1057 A allele were significantly increased in patients with ES compared to healthy controls (odds ratio [OR]=2.12, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-3.79, p=0.021; and OR=1.41, 95% CI, 1.10-1.91, p=0.018). Our data suggest that the +1057G/A polymorphism of the CD86 gene is associated with increased susceptibility to ES.     

Genetic polymorphisms of the interleukin-18 gene and risk of prostate cancer

Genetic factors are known to be important in the development of prostate cancer. Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a multifunctional cytokine that induces interferon-gamma secretion and plays an important role in antitumor immunity. Variations in the DNA sequence in the IL-18 gene promoter may lead to altered IL-18 production and/or activity, and so this can modulate an individual's susceptibility to prostate cancer. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the relationship of IL-18 gene promoter -137 G/C and -607 C/A polymorphisms and their haplotypes with the risk of prostate cancer. We analyzed two single nucleotide polymorphisms of IL-18 gene promoter -137 G/C and -607 C/A in 265 patients with prostate cancer and 280 age- and sex-matched controls, using sequence-specific primers-polymerase chain reaction strategy. There were significant differences in the genotype and allele distribution of -137 G/C polymorphism of the IL-18 gene among cases and controls. The -137 GC and CC genotypes were associated with a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer as compared with the -137 GG genotypes [odds ratio (OR) = 1.721; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.187-2.496; p = 0.004, and OR = 2.181; 95% CI: 1.034-4.603; p = 0.037, for GC and CC, respectively]. Consistent with the results of the genotyping analyses, the -137C/-607A haplotype was associated with a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer as compared with the -137G/-607C haplotype (OR = 1.544; 95% CI, 1.137-2.096; p = 0.005). This study shows for the first time an association between IL-18 gene promoter -137 G/C polymorphism and prostate cancer in a Chinese population.     

MMP-2和TIMP-2基因启动子区多态性与卵巢上皮性癌关系的研究

为探讨MMP-2和TIMP-2基因启动子区单核苷酸多态性(SNPs)与卵巢上皮性癌发病风险的关系, 采用聚合酶链反应-限制性片段长度多态性(PCR-RFLP)方法检测了246例卵巢上皮性癌患者和324例对照妇女的MMP-2 C-1306T、C-735T和TIMP-2 G-418C 3个SNPs的基因型。结果显示, MMP-2 C-1306T SNP的等位基因及基因型频率分布在卵巢癌与对照组间无显著差异(P=0.55和P=0.42); 但卵巢癌组MMP-2 C-735T SNP的C等位基因和C/C基因型频率(80.7%和66.7%)明显高于对照组(75.5%和55.9%), 与T/T+C/T基因型比较, 携带C/C基因型可以显著增加卵巢癌的发病风险(OR=1.58, 95% CI=1.12~2.23), 进一步分层分析显示, C/C基因型主要与宫内膜样癌和年龄≥50岁妇女的发病风险显著相关, OR值分别为1.69(95%CI=1.03~2.79)和1.71(95% CI=1.14~2.57); 对MMP-2 C-1306T、C-735T 2个SNPs的单体型分析显示, 4种单体型频率(T_-1306-T_-735、T_-1306-C_-735、C_-1306-T_-735和C_-1306-C_-735)在两组间分布无显著差异(P=0.24); 虽然TIMP-2 G-418C SNP的等位基因及基因型频率在卵巢癌组与对照组间分布无显著性差异(P=0.33和P=0.47), 但以病理类型分层分析显示, 携带TIMP-2 G-418G/G基因型有增加宫内膜样癌发病风险的趋势(OR=1.62, 95%CI=0.94~2.78)。以上结果提示, MMP-2基因启动子区C-735T SNP的C/C基因型可能是卵巢上皮性癌发病的潜在危险因素, 而C-1306T SNP可能与卵巢上皮性癌的发病风险无关; TIMP-2 G-418C SNP可能与不同病理类型的卵巢上皮性癌发病风险有关。     

Association between Ser311Cys polymorphism in the dopamine D2 receptor gene and schizophrenia risk: a meta-analysis in Asian populations

Numerous studies have evaluated the association between Ser311Cys (rs1801028, C>G) polymorphism of the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) gene and schizophrenia risk. However, the specific association is still controversial. We examined whether DRD2 Ser311Cys polymorphism confers schizophrenia risk in Asian populations. Sixteen studies were retrieved reporting on a total of 2268 schizophrenia patients and 2423 healthy controls. Meta-analysis of the results showed significant associations between Ser311Cys polymorphism and schizophrenia risk in the comparisons of G versus C (odds ratio (OR) = 1.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.18-1.83, P = 0.0006) and CG+GG versus CC (OR = 1.45, 95%CI = 1.16- 1.82, P = 0.001). In a subgroup analysis by nationality, we found a significant association between Ser311Cys polymorphism and schizophrenia risk in the comparisons of G versus C and CG+GG versus CC genotype in the Japanese population (OR = 1.75, 95%CI = 1.30-2.35, P = 0.0002; OR = 1.72, 95%CI = 1.27-2.33, P = 0.0004; respectively) but not in Chinese and Indian populations. In conclusion, the G allele of DRD2 Ser311Cys polymorphism involves a potential risk factor for schizophrenia in Asian populations, especially in the Japanese population.     

Interleukin-2 gene polymorphisms associated with increased risk of gastric atrophy from Helicobacter pylori infection

BACKGROUND: Gastric atrophy induced by Helicobacter pylori is thought to predispose patients to noncardiac gastric cancer development. However, the host genetic factors that influence the progression of gastric atrophy have not been elucidated. In this study, we examined the effects of cytokine polymorphisms on H. pylori-induced gastric atrophy. METHODS: Blood samples were taken from 454 Japanese subjects. The interleukin-2 (IL-2; T-330G), IL-4 (C-33T), and IL-13 (C-1111T) polymorphisms were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction with confronting two-pair primers (PCR-CTPP). Anti-H. pylori IgG antibody and pepsinogen I and II were measured to diagnose H. pylori infection and atrophic gastritis. RESULTS: The odds ratios (ORs) for the association between IL-2 polymorphism [OR = 2.78, 95% CI (confidence interval) = 1.26-6.17 (T/T to G/G)] or IL-4 polymorphism [OR = 2.22, 95% CI = 1.01-4.89 (T/C to C/C)] were increased significantly with gastric atrophy, whereas the corresponding OR of IL-13 polymorphism was decreased with gastric atrophy [OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.39-0.96 (C/T and T/T to C/C)]. There were no significant H. pylori seropositivity-related differences between these polymorphisms. We examined the relationship between these polymorphisms and gastric atrophy separately in H. pylori-seropositive and -seronegative groups. In the H. pylori-seropositive group, the IL-2 T/T (OR = 2.78, 95% CI = 1.12-6.93) had a significant association with gastric atrophy. CONCLUSIONS: These results reveal that the IL-2 gene polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of gastric atrophy induced by H. pylori infection and might predispose to gastric cancer.     

Myeloperoxidase gene-463G > A polymorphism and premature coronary artery disease

We investigated the association between myeloperoxidase gene -463G > A polymorphism and premature coronary artery disease (CAD) in two Chinese population samples: 229 patients and 230 controls. Genotypes were determined by ligase detection reaction-polymerase chain reaction sequencing and the grouping technique. We found lower frequencies of both the A/A genotype and the A allele in patients (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression showed that the risk of premature CAD in subjects carrying the AA genotype was reduced by 83% in relation to individuals carrying the G/G genotype (OR = 0.172, 95% CI: 0.057-0.526, p = 0.002). Our results indicate that -463G > A polymorphism of the myeloperoxidase gene is associated with premature CAD in Chinese individuals, suggesting that the AA genotype is a protective factor against premature CAD.     

The polymorphisms in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, methionine synthase, methionine synthase reductase, and the risk of colorectal cancer

Polymorphisms in genes involved in folate metabolism may modulate the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), but data from published studies are conflicting. The current meta-analysis was performed to address a more accurate estimation. A total of 41 (17,552 cases and 26,238 controls), 24(8,263 cases and 12,033 controls), 12(3,758 cases and 5,646 controls), and 13 (5,511 cases and 7,265 controls) studies were finally included for the association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T and A1289C, methione synthase reductase (MTRR) A66G, methionine synthase (MTR) A2756G polymorphisms and the risk of CRC, respectively. The data showed that the MTHFR 677T allele was significantly associated with reduced risk of CRC (OR = 0.93, 95%CI 0.90-0.96), while the MTRR 66G allele was significantly associated with increased risk of CRC (OR = 1.11, 95%CI 1.01-1.18). Sub-group analysis by ethnicity revealed that MTHFR C677T polymorphism was significantly associated with reduced risk of CRC in Asians (OR = 0.80, 95%CI 0.72-0.89) and Caucasians (OR = 0.84, 95%CI 0.76-0.93) in recessive genetic model, while the MTRR 66GG genotype was found to significantly increase the risk of CRC in Caucasians (GG vs. AA: OR = 1.18, 95%CI 1.03-1.36). No significant association was found between MTHFR A1298C and MTR A2756G polymorphisms and the risk of CRC. Cumulative meta-analysis showed no particular time trend existed in the summary estimate. Probability of publication bias was low across all comparisons illustrated by the funnel plots and Egger's test. Collectively, this meta-analysis suggested that MTHFR 677T allele might provide protection against CRC in worldwide populations, while MTRR 66G allele might increase the risk of CRC in Caucasians. Since potential confounders could not be ruled out completely, further studies were needed to confirm these results.     

T cell immunoglobulin- and mucin-domain-containing molecule 3 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to pancreatic cancer

T cell immunoglobulin- and mucin-domain-containing molecule 3 (TIM-3) is a novel transmembrane protein that is involved in the regulation of T-helper 1 cell-mediated immunity. Studies have shown that polymorphisms in TIM-3 gene can be associated with various diseases. Here, we investigated the correlation of TIM-3 polymorphisms with susceptibility to pancreatic cancer in the Chinese population. Three polymorphisms in TIM-3 gene (-1516G/T, -574G/T, and +4259T/G) were identified by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in 306 pancreatic patients and 408 healthy controls. Results showed that the prevalence of +4259TG genotype and +4259G allele were significantly increased in the pancreatic cancer cases than in controls [odds ratio (OR)?=?2.82, 95?% confidence interval (CI), 1.45-5.48, p?=?0.0015, and OR?=?2.74, 95?% CI, 1.42-2.94, p?=?0.0017]. In addition, when analyzing the TIM-3 polymorphisms with different clinical parameters in pancreatic cancer patients, the cases with vascular infiltration had higher numbers of +4259T/G polymorphism than those without vascular infiltration (OR?=?3.07, 95?% CI, 1.41-6.68, p?=?0.003). These results suggested polymorphisms in TIM-3 gene could be new risk factors for the development of pancreatic cancer.     

Functional polymorphism in the EpCAM gene is associated with occurrence and advanced disease status of cervical cancer in Chinese population

The epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) was originally identified as a tumor associated antigen, attributable to its high expression on rapidly proliferating tumors of epithelial origin. EpCAM plays vital roles in carcinogenesis, tumor progression and metastasis in most tumors. A non-synonymous polymorphism (rs1126497 C/T) was found in exon 3 of EpCAM, which cause a transition from 115 Met to 115 Thr. Another polymorphism (rs1421 A/G) in the 3'UTR causes loss of has-miR-1183 binding. We performed a multiple independent case-control analysis to assess the association between EpCAM genotypes and cervical cancer risk. Genotyping a total of 518 patients with cervical cancer and 723 control subjects in a Chinese population, we observed that the variant EpCAM genotypes (rs1126497 CT, and TT) were associated with substantially increased risk of cervical cancer. Compared with the rs1126497 CC genotype, CT genotype had a significantly increased risk of cervical cancer (Crude OR = 1.70; 95% CI = 1.33-2.20; adjusted OR = 1.72; 95% CI = 1.33-2.22), the TT carriers had a further increased risk of cervical cancer (Crude OR = 1.94; 95% CI = 1.01-3.72; adjusted OR = 1.96; 95%CI = 1.01-3.81), and there was a trend for an allele dose effect on risk of cervical cancer (P < 0.001). Moreover, the allele T increases the risk for invasive disease or metastatic disease, compared with C allele. However, there exists no significant difference in genotype frequencies of rs1421 A/G site between cases and controls (P = 0.798). These findings suggest that rs1126497 C/T polymorphism in EpCAM may be a genetic modifier for developing cervical cancer.     

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 polymorphisms and coronary artery disease: a case control study

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and their receptors (FGFRs) play important roles in vascular system. FGFR4 rs351855 (Gly388Arg) polymorphism has shown to be a risk factor for many diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between FGFR4 polymorphisms and the susceptibility to coronary artery disease (CAD) in the Chinese population. We identified three polymorphisms in the FGFR4 gene, rs351855G/A (Gly388Arg), rs145302848C/G and rs147603016G/A, by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 658 CAD cases and 692 healthy controls. Results showed that frequencies of GA genotype, AA genotype and A allele in rs351855 (Gly388Arg) polymorphism were significantly lower in CAD patients than in controls [odds ratio (OR) = 0.79, 95 % confidence intervals (CI) 0.62-0.99, P = 0.042; OR = 0.58, 95 % CI 0.41-0.81, P = 0.002; and OR = 0.77, 95 % CI 0.66-0.90, P = 0.001, respectively]. The rs147603016GA genotype and A allele also showed lower numbers in CAD cases (OR = 0.58, 95 % CI 0.36-0.93, P = 0.025; and OR = 0.59, 95 % CI 0.40-0.95, P = 0.028). The rs145302848C/G polymorphism did not show any correlation with CAD. Haplotype analysis revealed that the prevalence of ACG haplotype (rs351855, rs145302848 and rs147603016) was significantly decreased in CAD patients (P = 0.002). Our data suggested that the FGFR4 rs351855G/A (Gly388Arg) and rs147603016G/A polymorphisms could act as protective factors against CAD in the Chinese population and indicated that a single gene polymorphism could have diverse functions in different diseases.     

The IL-8 gene polymorphisms and the risk of the hepatitis B virus/infected patients

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) belongs to the superfamily of CXC chemokines, contributing to human cancer progression through potential mitogenic, angiogenic, and motogenic functions. We hypothesize that the functional polymorphism of IL-8 may influence the inflammatory process during pathological stage from hepatitis to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Two polymorphisms in the IL-8 gene (-251A/T and +781C/T) were examined in 160 cases of chronic hepatitis B, 80 cases of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver cirrhosis (LC), 150 cases of HBV-related HCC, and 150 healthy controls using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method and DNA sequencing. In the LC group, the AA genotypes were associated with a significantly decreased risk of LC compared with the TT genotype (OR=0.14, 95% CI 0.02-0.87, p=0.035). The data also revealed that subjects with the A allele appeared to have lower susceptibility to LC than those with the T allele (OR=0.48, 95% CI 0.25-0.92, p=0.027). The +781C/T polymorphism of IL-8 was not found relevant to the liver diseases. This study indicated that the IL-8 gene -251 AA genotype might be a protect factor for LC.     

IL-28B genetic variant is associated with the risk of schizophrenia in the Chinese Han population

Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder. Although its exact cause is unknown, it is widely accepted that environmental factors and genes integrate in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. 19q13, which contains IL-28B, is a newly identified potential susceptibility locus. IL-28B is a cytokine that functionally has anti-viral activity, but, structurally, is related to the interleukin-10 family. Both virus infection and cytokine changes have been documented in schizophrenia. We selected the single-nucleotide polymorphism rs8099917, which is associated with IL-28B gene expression, to study its relationship to the susceptibility to schizophrenia. A total of 256 Chinese patients with schizophrenia and 329 healthy controls were studied. Both genotype and allele frequencies showed significant differences between patients and normal subjects (p=0.03 and p=0.04, respectively). Our study suggested that the frequency of allele T was a risk factor for the susceptibility of schizophrenia (odds ratio [OR]=1.76, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.03-3.03). When all subjects were grouped by symptoms, both the genotype and the allele frequency were associated with patients having disorganized speech (genotype: χ(2)=5.75, p=0.02; allele: χ(2)=5.41, p=0.02, OR=3.67, 95% CI=1.14-11.82) and negative symptoms (genotype: χ(2)=5.09, p=0.02; allele: χ(2)=4.80, p=0.03, OR=1.95, 95% CI=1.06-3.56) as well as cognitive symptoms (genotype: χ(2)=5.97, p=0.02; allele: χ(2)=5.53, p=0.02, OR=2.04, 95% CI=1.11-3.74). The results in this study may lead to a better understanding of the etiology of schizophrenia.