Interleukin-12 p40 gene (IL12B) polymorphisms and the risk of cervical cancer in Korean women.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate whether IL12B polymorphisms might be associated with increased risk and invasiveness of cervical cancer in Korean women.

STUDY DESIGN

Peripheral blood samples from patients with invasive cervical cancer (n=154) and non-cancer controls (n=191) were used to detect three biallelic IL12B polymorphisms at IVS2 -912, IVS4 +314, 3'UTR +1188 sites by performing SNaPshot assay. Allelic frequencies, genotype distributions, and haplotype patterns in the case group were compared with those in the control group. The relationships between these polymorphisms and cancer invasiveness were also evaluated by collating the clinicopathologic parameters including FIGO stage, lymph node status, histologic type, and parametrial invasion. The used analytic methods are chi-square test and logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Allelic frequencies of cases (G, 0.853; A, 0.147) were not significantly different from controls (G, 0.796; A, 0.204) in IVS2 -912G/A SNP (P=0.054). GG genotype of IVS2 -912G/A SNP showed increased risk for cervical cancer compared with AA genotype (P=0.040). The IVS2 -912G:IVS4+314A haplotype, IVS2 -912G:IVS4 +314A:3'UTR +1188A haplotype, and IVS2 -912G:IVS4 +314A:3'UTR +1188C haplotype were also significantly associated with increased risk for cervical cancer. A subgroup analysis of the clinicopathologic parameters in cancer group also showed that there is no significant association between IL12B polymorphisms and cervical cancer invasiveness.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that IVS2 -912GG genotype and IVS2 -912G:IVS4 +314A haplotype of IL12B gene are associated with increased risk for cervical cancer in Korean women.