Tumor necrosis factor‐alpha genetic variants and its interaction with smoking and tobacco chewing in oral precancerous lesions and oral cancer

Abstract

IntroductionOral cancer is one of the most common cancers in Northern India. Carcinogenic substances found in cigarette or tobacco can cause inflammation of the lining of oral cavity and pathogenesis of oral cavity cancer. Tumor necrosis factor is a pro‐inflammatory cytokine involved in the immunoinflammatory diseases. The aim of this research was to determine the impact of smoking and tobacco chewing and polymorphism in TNFα −238 G/A and TNFα −308 G/A, on the risk to precancerous oral lesions and oral cavity cancer.MethodsGenotyping was done by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism method in 75 patients with oral cavity cancer, 75 patients confirmed with precancerous lesions, and 100 controls.ResultsTNFα −238 G/A SNP was not associated with the risk of oral precancerous lesions or oral cavity cancer. TNFα −308 G/A was strongly associated with precancerous lesions and oral cancer. No correlation was found between smoking or tobacco chewing habits and TNFα −238 and TNFα −308 G/A polymorphism with oral precancerous lesions and oral cavity cancer.ConclusionThe study shows no significant interaction between smoking or tobacco chewing habits and polymorphism in TNFα −238 and TNFα −308 G to A with precancerous lesions and oral cancer although TNFα −308 G/A was strongly associated with precancerous lesions and oral cancer.