Insulin-like Growth Factor II Receptor Gene-167 Genotype Increases the Risk of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Humans

Athanasios I. Zavras, Waranuch Pitiphat, Tianxia Wu, Vassiliki Cartsos, Albert Lam, Chester W. Douglass, and Scott R. Diehl

Abstract

Our purpose was to evaluate inherited short tandem repeat polymorphisms of the insulin-like growth factor II receptor gene (IGF2R) in oral cancer risk. The 197 individuals that consented to participate in a hospital-based, case-control study were interviewed with a structured questionnaire and provided blood and saliva. DNA was extracted for genotyping using a PCR-based method. Odds ratios were calculated using multivariate logistic regression. Subjects carrying the heterozygous 167-bp IGF2R genotype had a 2.7-fold higher risk of oral cancer compared with subjects with other genotypes (odds ratio = 2.7, 95% confidence interval: 1.16 - 6.48), controlling for major confounders. Our results suggest that genetic variation of IGF2R may influence significantly the risk of oral cancer.