Genetic polymorphism of tumor necrosis factor promoter region and susceptibility to develop Hodgkin lymphoma in a Mexican population

Abstract

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a rare neoplasm of the lymphatic system, in which inflammation and allelic variants in cytokines have been proposed as etiological factors. Epstein–Barr virus infection is often associated as a risk factor in HL and since cytokines are involved in the humoral response to viral infection. Our aim was to study the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) gene (− 376G> A, − 238G> A and 581G> A) in a sample of Mexican patients (56 cases) and their susceptibility to develop HL, comparing these SNPs among healthy individuals (127 controls). Frequencies for TNF − 238G> A and TNF 581G> A showed no significant differences between cases and controls. However, the proportion of cases with the GA genotype of − 376 SNP showed a significant difference as compared to controls, odds ratio = 4.41 (95% confidence interval: 1.21–16.6), p = 0.02. We found that in this group of patients from Mexico the SNP − 376G> A in TNF shows an association with higher risk for HL.

Keywords::

• TNF
• allelic variants
• Hodgkin lymphoma

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the PhD Graduate Program in Biological Sciences, National Autonomous University of Mexico, and “CONACyT”, Mexico, for a scholarship to support PhD studies, and also MPSS Marisol González and QFB Diana Cisneros Torres for their technical assistance in contacting patients.

Potential conflict of interest:

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