Heterozygosity for interleukin-18 -607 A/C polymorphism is associated with risk for colorectal cancer.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The possible contribution of interleukin-18 (IL-18) -607 A/C polymorphism towards the development of colorectal cancer was investigated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: DNA samples of 84 patients with colorectal cancer (adenocarcinomas) and 89 healthy controls were examined by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction followed by electrophoretic analysis. The resulting allele and genotype frequencies of patients were compared to those of the respective controls using Fischer's exact test and odds ratios. RESULTS: The proportion of heterozygotes in the patient group was significantly higher than that in healthy controls (p < 0.01). This significant increase was detected independently of Dukes' tumor stage. Additionally, the carrier frequency of the mutant A allele was significantly higher in the patient group compared to controls (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results indicate that heterozygotes for the IL-18 -607 A/C polymorphism exhibit increased risk for colorectal cancer development.