Association between interleukin 17/interleukin 17 receptor gene polymorphisms and papillary thyroid cancer in Korean population.

BACKGROUND: Although numerous recent studies have implicated a role for interleukin 17(IL17) in tumor development, the mechanisms of IL17 involvement are still uncharacterized. The aims of this study were to determine whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IL17 and IL17R contribute to the development of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and to assess the relationship between IL17 and IL17R SNPs and the clinicopathologic characteristics of PTC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight SNPs located within the IL17A, IL17RA, and IL17RB genes were genotyped using direct sequencing in 94 patients with PTC and 260 patients without PTC (controls). Genetic data were analyzed using commercially available software. Statistical analyses were then performed to examine the relationships between these SNPs and the clinicopathologic characteristics of PTC.

RESULTS: Genotyping analysis demonstrated that the IL17RA SNP rs4819554 (codominant model 1, odds ratio (OR)=0.39, P=0.001) and the IL17RB SNP rs1025689 (dominant model, OR=0.59, P=0.043) were significantly associated with lack of PTC. Interestingly, the IL17A SNP rs2275913 (codominant model 2, OR=0.19, P=0.034) was significantly associated with lack of multifocality. Furthermore, the IL17RA SNP rs4819554 (dominant model, OR=0.25, P=0.010) was significantly associated with lack of cancer bilaterality.

CONCLUSION: In this study of SNPs in the IL17 and IL17R genes in patients with PTC, we demonstrated that IL17RA polymorphisms can influence both the development and the bilaterality of PTC.