Background and objectives: Epidermal growth factor (EGF) plays an important role in tumourigenesis by binding with its receptor, EGFR. Variations in the DNA sequence in the EGF gene can lead to an alteration in EGF production and/or activity, which can affect an individual's susceptibility to lung cancer. To test this hypothesis, this study examined the association between the +61 A>G polymorphism in the 5'-untranslated region of the EGF gene and the risk of lung cancer in a Korean population.
Methods: The EGF+61 A>G genotype was determined in 432 lung cancer patients and 432 healthy age- and gender-matched control subjects.
Results: The +61 AA and +61 AG genotypes were not significantly associated with the risk of lung cancer compared with the +61 GG genotype (adjusted OR = 1.02, 95% CI: 0.77-1.37; and adjusted OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.51-1.29, respectively). In addition to the reference model, the EGF+61 A>G polymorphism had no significant association with the risk of lung cancer under both dominant and recessive models for the +61A allele (adjusted OR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.74-1.29; and adjusted OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.51-1.24, respectively).
Conclusion: These results suggest that the EGF+61 A>G polymorphism may not significantly affect the susceptibility to lung cancer in the Korean population.