Genome-wide Analysis Identified , Novel Candidate Gene for Temperature Sensitivity in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND

In the era of precision medicine, individual temperature sensitivity has been highlighted. This trait has traditionally been used for cold-heat pattern identification to understand the inherent physical characteristics, which are influenced by genetic factors, of an individual. However, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) on this trait are limited.

METHODS

Using genotype data from 90 patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and epidermal growth factor receptor mutations, we performed a GWAS to assess the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and temperature sensitivity, such as cold and heat scores. The score of each participant was evaluated using self-administered questionnaires on common symptoms and a 15-item symptom-based cold-heat pattern identification questionnaire.

RESULTS

The GWAS was adjusted for confounding factors, including age and sex, and significant associations were identified for cold and heat scores: SNP rs145814326, located on the intron of at chromosome 4p16.1, had a -value of 1.86 × 10; and SNP rs79297667, located upstream from at chromosome 9q22.2, had a -value of 8.97 × 10. We also found that the genetic variant regulates the expression level of in the main tissues, including the lungs and white blood cells, in NSCLC.

CONCLUSIONS

was found to be significantly associated with temperature sensitivity in patients with NSCLC, suggesting an increased expression of in patients with higher heat scores. The potential role of temperature sensitivity as a prognostic or predictive marker of immune response in NSCLC should be further studied.