C-X-C chemokine receptor type 5 gene polymorphisms are associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma

The C-X-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CXCR5) is one of the principal regulators for targeting T cells, B cells and dendritic cells into secondary lymphoid organs. Polymorphism studies of CXCR5 gene remain extremely scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of polymorphisms in the CXCR5 gene on the development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in the Chinese population. Four polymorphisms in CXCR5 gene, rs148351692C/G, rs6421571C/T, rs80202369G/A and rs78440425G/A, were tested by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in 404 NHL cases and 456 age-matched healthy controls. Data were analyzed using the χ(2) test. Results showed that individuals with the rs6421571 CT, rs6421571 TT and rs80202369 AA genotype had significantly increased susceptibility to NHL Odd ratio (OR) = 1.41, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.04-1.92, p = 0.028; OR = 2.30, 95 % CI: 1.44-3.65, p < 0.001; and OR = 3.24, 95 % CI: 1.26-8.32, p = 0.010, respectively]. When analyzing the haplotypes of these polymorphisms, the prevalence of the TGG (rs6421571, rs80202369, and rs78440425) haplotype was significantly higher in NHL cases than in controls (OR = 1.59, 95 % CI: 1.25-2.03, p < 0.001). In addition, numbers of rs6421571 TT genotype and T allele were significantly increased in NHL patients with high Ann Arbor stages (p < 0.03) or NHL with B cell subtype (p < 0.02). These data indicate that CXCR5 gene polymorphisms may be new risk factors for NHL. The finding that the adjacent SNPs, rs6421571C/T and rs80202369G/A, are both associated with NHL suggests that the 87 bp region carrying these 2 polymorphisms may have important functional significance.