Background: Non-small cell cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 80% of all lung cancers. Reports suggested an association between the interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) -31 and -511 gene loci and NSCLC, but few studies took into account the effect of smoking and/or alcohol drinking on the association.
Methods: Two-hundred thirteen cases of NSCLC (aged 58.2 + or - 10.1) and 213 controls (aged 59.4 + or - 10.3y) were included in this research. Information about the smoking and drinking behaviors, dietary customs, and anamnesis were obtained from all subjects by questionnaires, and genomic DNA was extracted. IL-1beta -31 and -511 gene polymorphisms were detected using PCR-RFLP. The interactions between the genotypes and alcohol drinking/smoking were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression models.
Results: (The T/T genotype and the T allele of the IL-1beta -31 gene were associated with higher incidence of NSCLC (P<0.05). For the IL-1beta -511 locus, no difference was found in different genotypes between the NSCLC and control groups. After the adjustment of confounding variables, such as age and gender, the binary logistic analysis showed a significant gene-environment interaction (P<0.05).
Conclusions: The IL-1beta -31T allele was positively associated with a risk of NSCLC, and the carriers of IL-1beta -31T/T or -511C/C would have a higher risk of suffering from NSCLC if they drank alcohol or smoke heavily.
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