Impact of Gene Polymorphisms on Pancreatic and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer-Induced Cachexia in Adult Egyptian Patients: A Focus on Pathogenic Trajectories.

Background: Cachexia is a frequent syndrome in pancreatic and non-small cell lung (NSCL) cancer patients. The storm of cancer-induced inflammatory cytokines, in particular TNF-α, is a crucial pathogenic mechanism. Among the molecular alterations accused of cancer-induced cachexia, (rs1800629) and (rs1799964) are single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the gene encoding this pro-inflammatory cytokine. Recent studies have demonstrated the crucial role of non-coding microRNAs () in pathogenesis of different diseases including cachexia. Moreover, the mechanistic cytokine signaling pathway of , as a regulator, supports the involvement of SOCS1, TAB2, and Foxp3, which are direct targets of gene.

Aim: A case-control study (NCT04131478) was conducted primarily to determine the incidence of (rs1800629) and (rs1799964) gene polymorphisms in adult Egyptian patients with local/advanced or metastatic pancreatic or NSCL cancer and investigate both as cachexia risk factors. The association of gene polymorphism with cachexia severity and the expression of in cachectic patients were analyzed. A mechanistic investigation of the cytokine signaling pathway, involving SOCS1, TAB2, and Foxp3, was also performed.

Results: In both pancreatic and NSCL cancer cohorts, the mutant variant of was positively associated with cachexia; on the contrary, that of 1031T/C was negatively associated with cachexia in the NSCL cancer patients. was higher in cachexia and in alignment with its severity in the cachectic group as compared with the non-cachectic group in both the pancreatic and NSCL cancer patients. Though TAB2 did not change to any significant extent in cachectic patients, the levels of SOCS1 and Foxp3 were significantly lower in the cachectic group as compared with the non-cachectic group.

Conclusion: Carriers of the A allele gene and high are at greater risk of cachexia in both the pancreatic and NSCL cancer patients; however, the mutant variant of gene is protective against cachexia in the NSCL cancer patients. Finally, high levels of in the cachectic group lead to negative feedback inhibition of both SOCS1 and Foxp3 in both the pancreatic and NSCL cancer patients.