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Interleukin-18 gene promoter and serum level in women with ovarian cancer

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Abstract

IL-18, initially defined as a potent inducer of IFN- γ production, is a systemic, multifunctional cytokine with both pro-cancerous and anti-cancer activities. The contribution of the IL-18 promoter polymorphisms at positions −607 (C/A) and −137 (G/C) to cancer development has been reported. We sought to examine IL-18 serum level and its polymorphisms in Iranian women with ovarian cancer. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at positions −607 (C/A) and −137 (G/C) were analyzed by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction in 85 women with ovarian cancer and 158 healthy controls. IL-18 serum level was determined using ELISA method. No significant association was found between the allele, genotype, and haplotype distributions of the SNPs and ovarian cancer. Mean IL-18 serum level was significantly higher in patients than in controls (P = 0.008). Comparing IL-18 serum levels with genotypes at positions −607 and −137 revealed no significant difference. No association was also found between IL-18 levels and the disease stage. In conclusion, our results indicate that IL-18 promoter polymorphisms at positions −607 (C/A) and −137 (G/C) appear not to confer susceptibility to ovarian cancer in Iranian population; however, IL-18 serum level increases in ovarian cancer patients.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank to Dr Nasrollah Erfani for his assistance in statistical analysis. This work was supported by a grant from Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research (Grant number: CR83-110).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

    Alamtaj Samsami Dehaghani & Khatere Shahriary

  2. Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

    Mohammad Amin Kashef, Sirous Naeimi, Mohammad Javad Fattahi, Zahra Mojtahedi & Abbas Ghaderi

  3. Department of Immunology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

    Abbas Ghaderi

Authors
  1. Alamtaj Samsami Dehaghani
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  2. Khatere Shahriary
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  3. Mohammad Amin Kashef
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  4. Sirous Naeimi
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  5. Mohammad Javad Fattahi
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  6. Zahra Mojtahedi
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Correspondence to Alamtaj Samsami Dehaghani.

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Samsami Dehaghani, A., Shahriary, K., Kashef, M.A. et al. Interleukin-18 gene promoter and serum level in women with ovarian cancer. Mol Biol Rep 36, 2393–2397 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-009-9469-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-009-9469-7

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