The MIF −173G/C polymorphism and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in a Chinese population

Xue, Yao; Xu, Hongyan; Rong, Liucheng; Lu, Qin; Li, Jie; Tong, Na; Wang, Meilin; Zhang, Zhengdong; Fang, Yongjun

doi:10.1016/j.leukres.2010.03.030

« Previous Next »Leukemia Research
Volume 34, Issue 10 , Pages 1282-1286, October 2010

The MIF −173G/C polymorphism and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in a Chinese population

Yao Xue
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, The Affiliated Nanjing Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No. 72 Guanzhou Road, Nanjing 210008, China
Hongyan Xu
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, The Affiliated Nanjing Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No. 72 Guanzhou Road, Nanjing 210008, China
Liucheng Rong
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, The Affiliated Nanjing Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No. 72 Guanzhou Road, Nanjing 210008, China
Qin Lu
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, The Affiliated Nanjing Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No. 72 Guanzhou Road, Nanjing 210008, China
Jie Li
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, The Affiliated Children's Hospital of Schoow University, Schoow, China
Na Tong
- Department of Molecular and Genetic Toxicology, Cancer Center of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
Meilin Wang
- Department of Molecular and Genetic Toxicology, Cancer Center of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
Zhengdong Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Genetic Toxicology, Cancer Center of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
Yongjun Fang
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, The Affiliated Nanjing Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, No. 72 Guanzhou Road, Nanjing 210008, China
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +86 25 83117509; fax: +86 25 83304239.

Received 27 November 2009; received in revised form 26 February 2010; accepted 17 March 2010. published online 07 March 2011.

Abstract

Migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has recently been defined as a novel pro-tumorigenic factor that promotes cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. The MIF −173C allele results in increased MIF promoter activity and is associated with a higher serum MIF level. We hypothesized that this polymorphism may contribute to childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) susceptibility. We genotyped the MIF −173G/C polymorphism (rs755622) in 346 ALL cases and 516 cancer-free controls in a Chinese population and found that the variant genotype GC and the combined genotypes GC/CC were associated with a significantly higher risk of childhood ALL [adjusted odds ratio (OR)=1.39, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.01–1.93 for GC and adjusted OR=1.38, 95% CI=1.01–1.89 for GC/CC]. In addition, we found that the increased risk was more pronounced among high-risk ALL and B-phenotype ALL patients. Our results suggest that the MIF −173G/C polymorphism is involved in the etiology of childhood ALL and is a potential candidate gene for determining cancer susceptibility. Further validations in other populations are warranted.