TY - JOUR
T1 - Telomere length and TERT functional polymorphisms are not associated with risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck
AU - Liu, Zhensheng
AU - Ma, Hongxia
AU - Wei, Sheng
AU - Li, Guojun
AU - Sturgis, Erich M.
AU - Wei, Qingyi
PY - 2011/12
Y1 - 2011/12
N2 - Background: Recent studies reported associations of the relative telomere length (RTL) and TERT variants with risk of several cancers, which have not been comprehensively investigated in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Methods: We detected RTL in peripheral blood lymphocytes and genotyped six selected functional singlenucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of the TERT gene in 888 SCCHN cases and 885 cancer-free controls of non-Hispanic whites. Results: Overall, we did not observe significant associations between RTL and SCCHN risk (adjusted OR = 0.97; 95% CI = 0.80-1.17 for below versus above the median; P trend = 0.618) nor between the six TERT SNPs and SCCHN risk. We also found no associations between RTL and TERT SNPs. Conclusions: Our results suggest that RTL and TERTfunctional polymorphisms may not play a major role in the etiology of SCCHN. Large prospective studies are needed to validate our findings. Impact: Although our results suggest no association among RTL, TERT functional polymorphisms, and SCCHN risk, this study may contribute to future meta-analysis.
AB - Background: Recent studies reported associations of the relative telomere length (RTL) and TERT variants with risk of several cancers, which have not been comprehensively investigated in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Methods: We detected RTL in peripheral blood lymphocytes and genotyped six selected functional singlenucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of the TERT gene in 888 SCCHN cases and 885 cancer-free controls of non-Hispanic whites. Results: Overall, we did not observe significant associations between RTL and SCCHN risk (adjusted OR = 0.97; 95% CI = 0.80-1.17 for below versus above the median; P trend = 0.618) nor between the six TERT SNPs and SCCHN risk. We also found no associations between RTL and TERT SNPs. Conclusions: Our results suggest that RTL and TERTfunctional polymorphisms may not play a major role in the etiology of SCCHN. Large prospective studies are needed to validate our findings. Impact: Although our results suggest no association among RTL, TERT functional polymorphisms, and SCCHN risk, this study may contribute to future meta-analysis.
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U2 - 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-11-0890
DO - 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-11-0890
M3 - Article
C2 - 21994403
AN - SCOPUS:83055173307
SN - 1055-9965
VL - 20
SP - 2642
EP - 2645
JO - Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention
JF - Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention
IS - 12
ER -