Role of Genetic Polymorphisms -238 GA and -308 GA, and Serum TNF-α Levels in a Cohort of Mexican Pediatric Neuroblastoma Patients: Preliminary Study

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2024-10, Vol.25 (19)
• Main Authors: Ramírez-Pacheco, Arturo, Moreno-Guerrero, Silvia Selene, Rocha-Ramírez, Luz María, Hernández-Pliego, Gabriela, Escobar-Sánchez, María Argelia, Reyes-López, Alfonso, Sienra-Monge, Juan José Luis, Juárez-Villegas, Luis Enrique
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Children; Development and progression; Genetic aspects; Genetic polymorphisms; Health aspects; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Metastasis; Neuroblastoma; Pediatric research; Pediatrics; Physiological aspects; Prognosis; Single nucleotide polymorphisms; Tumor necrosis factor
• ISSN: 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms251910590

The results of in vitro and in vivo studies have shown the pro-tumor effects of TNF-α, and this cytokine’s increased expression is associated with poor prognosis in patients with some types of cancer. Our study objective was to evaluate the possible association of TNF-α genetic polymorphisms and serum levels with susceptibility and prognosis in a cohort of Mexican patients with NB. We performed PCR-RFLP and ELISA methods to analyze the genetics of these SNPs and determine serum concentrations, respectively. The distribution of the -308 G>A and -238 G>A polymorphisms TNFα genotypes was considerably different between patients with NB and the control group. The SNP rs1800629 GG/GA genotypes were associated with a decreased risk of NB (OR = 0.1, 95% CI = 0.03–0.393, p = 0.001) compared with the AA genotype, which was associated with susceptibility to NB (OR = 2.89, 95% CI = 1.45–5.76, p = 0.003) and related to unfavorable histology and high-risk NB. The rs361525 polymorphism GG genotype was associated with a lower risk of developing NB compared with the GA and AA genotypes (OR = 0.2, 95% CI = 0.068–0.63, p = 0.006). Circulating TNF-α serum concentrations were significantly different (p < 0.001) between patients with NB and healthy controls; however, we found no relationship between the analyzed TNF-α serum levels and SNP genotypes. We found associations between the rs1800629AA genotype and lower event-free survival (p = 0.026); SNP rs361525 and TNF-α levels were not associated with survival in patients with NB. Our results suggest the TNF-α SNP rs1800629 as a probable factor of NB susceptibility. The -308 G/A polymorphism AA genotype has a probable role in promoting NB development and poor prognosis associated with unfavorable histology, high-risk tumors, and lower EFS in Mexican patients with NB. It should be noted that it is important to conduct research on a larger scale, through inter-institutional studies, to further evaluate the contribution of TNF-α genetic polymorphisms to the risk and prognosis of NB.