Interactions among polymorphisms of NER genes prompt the risk of transplantation rejection.

Better efficacy for predicting the risk of transplantation rejection could be achieved by intergenic interactions among single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) compared with one SNP. In this study, we explored the forewarning function of interactions among SNPs in nucleotide excision repair (NER) genes. Thirty-eight polymorphisms in eight NER genes were genotyped by Sequenom MassARRAY platform, including XPA, XPC, DDB2, XPB (ERCC3), XPD (ERCC2), ERCC1, XPF (ERCC4), and XPG (ERCC5). The haplotype analysis suggested that XPA rs3176629-rs2808668 C-T and ERCC5 G-C-C-T and G-C-T-C (OR = 1.81, 7.72 and 3.46, respectively) increased the risk of transplantation rejection; while ERCC5 rs2094258-rs751402-rs2296147-rs1047768 A-C-T-T decreased the risk (OR = 0.35). Multiple logistic regression and multifactor dimensionality reduction (DMR) analyses consistently revealed intergenic interactions among ERCC2 rs50871, ERCC5 rs1047768, and XPC rs2228001 SNPs for the risk of transplantation rejection. Taken together, the interactions among XPC rs2228001, ERCC2 rs50871 and ERCC5 rs1047768 SNPs were associated with the risk of transplantation rejection.