The significant contribution of interleukin-16 genotypes, smoking, alcohol drinking, and helicobacter pylori infection to gastric cancer

Elevated serum interleukin-16 (IL-16) levels have been reported in gastric cancer (GC) tissues; however, the role of IL-16 genotypes in GC susceptibility remains largely unexplored. A study investigated the contribution of IL-16 genotypes to GC susceptibility and assessed their interactions with smoking, alcohol drinking, and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection.
Genotypic characteristics for IL-16 rs4778889, rs11556218, and rs4072111 were determined in 161 patients with GC and 483 controls. Significant differences were observed in the distribution of genotypic and allelic frequencies of IL-16 rs11556218 among cases and controls. Specifically, the frequencies of TG and GG genotypes of IL-16 rs11556218 were 37.3% and 6.8% among patients with GC, respectively, which were higher than those among the controls (26.7% and 2.7%). In contrast, no significant differences were found concerning IL-16 rs4778889 or rs4072111. Notably, individuals with IL-16 rs11556218 TT genotypes exhibited significant protective effects against GC when exposed to risk factors, such as smoking, alcohol drinking, and H. pylori infection.
IL-16 rs11556218 T allele was associated with reduced susceptibility to GC. Furthermore, carriers of the TT genotype showed protection against GC risk factors, including smoking, alcohol drinking, and H. pylori infection. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential role of IL-16 genotypes in GC development and their interactions with lifestyle and infectious factors.
Source: Fu CK, Mong MC, Tzeng HE, Yang MD, Chen JC, Hsia TC, Hsia NY, Tsai CW, Chang WS, Chen CP, Bau DT. The Significant Contribution of Interleukin-16 Genotypes, Smoking, Alcohol Drinking, and Helicobacter Pylori Infection to Gastric Cancer. In Vivo. 2024 Jan-Feb;38(1):90-97. .