Genetic variations in CYP2A6, CYP2E1, GSTM1, GSTT1 genes and the risk of Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in North African population.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a multifactorial malignancy associated with both genetic and environmental factors. Polymorphic deletions of the phase I and phase II genes involved in the detoxification of potential carcinogens may be a risk factor for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In this study, we investigated the relationship between CYP2E1 (rs3813867), CYP2A6, GSTM1(rs1183423000) and GSTT1(rs1601993659) gene variations and NPC risk in North African countries with the highest incidence of NPC (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia).

Krüppel-like factor 4: A new potential biomarker of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is most prevalent human cancer worldwide. However, no molecular markers are currently available for predicting lung cancer prognosis. Therefore, identifying novel biomarkers may be useful for improving clinical diagnosis and patient stratification.

XRCC1 and hOGG1 genes and risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in North African countries.

Although genetic susceptibility to nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has been recognized for a long time, little is known about the responsible genes. X-Ray repair cross-complementing protein 1 (XRCC1) and human 8-oxo-guanine glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) genes are involved in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair and were found associated with NPC risk in three Asian case-control studies. The objective of the present study was to test these genes in a sample from North Africa, one of the major NPC endemic regions in the world.

Matrix metalloproteinase-1 (-1607) 1G/2G and -9 (-1562) C/T promoter polymorphisms: susceptibility and prognostic implications in nasopharyngeal carcinomas.

Background: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes that play important roles in tumor invasion and metastasis by degrading extracellular matrix components. Genetic variations in promoter regions of MMP genes, affecting their expression, have been associated with susceptibility to cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the susceptibility and prognostic implications of the MMP-1 (-1607) 1G/2G and MMP-9 (-1562) C/T polymorphisms in nasopharyngeal carcinomas.

Dietary risk factors for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Maghrebian countries.

North Africa is one of the major Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC) endemic regions. Specific food items unique to this area were implicated to be associated with NPC risk, but results were inconsistent. Here we have performed a large-scale case-control study in the Maghrebian population from Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.

TAP1 gene polymorphisms and nasopharyngeal carcinoma risk in a Tunisian population.

To find out whether polymorphisms 333-Ile/Val and 637-Asp/Gly of the transporter part of the antigen processing 1 gene (TAP1) are associated with the development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), we studied a total of 374 subjects (209 patients and 165 controls). We used the amplification refractory mutation system polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) method for analyzing the TAP1 gene polymorphisms. We found a significant difference between the patients and the controls in both the TAP1 codon 333 and codon 637 (P = 0.

A polymorphism in FAS gene promoter associated with increased risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and correlated with anti-nuclear autoantibodies induction.

Loss of FAS (CD95) expression is a common feature of malignant transformation, which has been related to loss of epithelial cell differentiation and loss of sensitivity to apoptosis. We investigated the potential association between FAS promoter polymorphism and the genetic susceptibility to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The in vivo functional significance of the FAS polymorphism was investigated by assessing the correlation between FAS genotypes and the presence of autoantibodies to cytoskeleton and nuclear antigens frequently detected in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Polymorphism of the stress protein HSP70-2 gene is associated with the susceptibility to the nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Several studies have shown statistical evidence of association between nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and highlighted the presence of candidate genes for this cancer within or nearby the HLA. Given their chromosomal location within HLA and their determining role in the immune response to tumor cells, we designed a case-controlled study to investigate the potential association of the genetic variation of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and that of the heat shock protein 70-2 (HSP70-2) with NPC. We used the polymerase chain reaction and restriction enzyme digestion to characterize the variation of the TNF-alpha promoter region and that of the HSP70-2 gene in 140 Tunisian patients with primary NPC and 274 healthy control subjects.

Autoantibodies to tubulin are specifically associated with the young age onset of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

By far the highest incidence of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated nasopharyngeal carcinomas in young subjects was found in North Africa, a region of intermediate risk for adults. We used the immunofluorescence analysis and ELISA to characterize the presence of IgG autoantibodies to the cytoskeleton and nuclear proteins in sera of 82 Tunisian patients with primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma and those of 82 healthy subjects. To assess the specificity of the sera autoreactivity, inhibition tests were carried out using free autoantigens.