Tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene -308G > A polymorphism alters the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in a Han Chinese population.

Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) -308 G > A polymorphism on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk.
Methods: The present case-control study was conducted in a Han Chinese population consisting of 753 HCC patients and 760 controls from May 2010 to March 2013. The -308 TNF-a promoter polymorphisms were detected. Conditional logistic regression was performed to analyze the association between TNF-α -308 G > A polymorphism and the risk of HCC, which were estimated by odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).
Results: The genotypic frequencies in the cases were not similar to that of the controls, differences being statistically significant (P = 0.002). Using the GG genotype as the reference genotype, AA was significantly associated with increased risk of HCC (adjusted OR = 5.12, 95% CI = 2.31-7.82). Similarly, AG + AA genotype showed 5.59-fold increased HCC risk in a dominant model. Furthermore, we found A allele was significantly associated with increased risk of HCC, compared with G allele (OR = 4.18, 95% CI = 1.76-6.97).
Conclusion: The present study showed that TNF-α -308 G > A polymorphism was associated with increased HCC risk in a Han Chinese population. Further prospective studies on large and different ethnic populations will be necessary to confirm our findings and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism for the development of HCC.
Virtual Slides: The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/13000_2014_199.