Association of Interleukin-8 Promoter Genotypes With Taiwan Lung Cancer Risk

Background/Aim: Chronic inflammation is believed to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of lung cancer. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is an inflammatory cytokine and plays an important role in cancer development. Few studies have investigated the association between interleukin-8 -251T/A (rs4073) genotype and lung cancer risk in various populations. Materials and Methods: In the current study, genotypes of interleukin-8 rs4073 were analyzed in 358 lung cancer patients and 716 healthy controls in Taiwan, by the PCR-RFLP methodology. Results: The distribution frequencies of interleukin-8 rs4073 genotypes between control and case groups were compared, and the homozygous variant AA genotypes showed a lower percentage in the case group compared to the control group (OR=0.57, 95%CI=0.39-0.85, p=0.0059). The distributions of alleles frequencies also exhibited statistical difference (p=0.0066). There was an interaction between interleukin-8 rs4073 and smoking habits (p=0.0051). Conclusion: Interleukin-8 rs4073 genotypes were associated with lung cancer susceptibility, especially for smokers.