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Published on: May 10, 2024
Functional IL-18 promoter gene polymorphisms in Tunisian nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients
Karim Farhat1, Elham Hassen, Nadia Bouzgarrou
1Laboratory of Molecular Immuno-Oncology, Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, Monastir 5019, Tunisia.
Objectives:
There is growing evidence suggesting that IL-18 levels may affect individual to virus-associated neoplasia and that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the gene may influence its production. In this study we wanted to know whether IL-18 polymorphisms at positions -607 C/A and -137 G/A are associated with susceptibility and/or are markers of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) prognosis.
Methods:
Using the restriction fragment length polymerase chain reaction (RFLP-PCR), 163 Tunisian patients and 164 healthy controls were genotyped.
Results:
No significant association was found between each studied polymorphism and NPC. However, we noted that the -607 A allele, which is associated with lower IL-18 production, increased the risk of advanced tumor stages (OR=3.59; P=0.017) and that this risk was more pronounced among the older patient's age at onset (OR=3.85; P=0.012). Moreover, the significant difference in CA/GG haplotype frequency distribution between young and older patients supported the idea that NPC disease has biologically different features between age sub-groups.
Conclusion:
Functional IL-18 gene polymorphisms do not influence the susceptibility to NPC in Tunisians but may contribute to disease onset and aggressiveness.
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