Introduction: Genome-wide association studies have identified that genetic polymorphisms in the telomerase reverse transcrip-tase (TERT) and cleft lip and palate transmembrane 1-like (CLPTM1L) genes may play important roles in the development of lung cancer in never smokers.
Material and methods: This study was aiming to evaluate the associations between the risk of lung cancer in never smokers and single nucleotide polymorphisms in these genes by Real-Time Taqman assay, in forty lung cancer patients and forty apparently healthy age-matched controls selected from the chest department, Kasr Al-Ainy hospital from June 2018 to January 2019.
Results: Adenocarcinoma was the most common histopathological subtype of lung cancer in the study patients. Also, the prevalence of females having adenocarcinoma was more common than males. The heterozygous form of the CLPTM1L occurred more frequently in the subjects aged above 46 years (P=0.019). There was a significant association between (rs 2730100) (c. 1574-3777C>A) TERT and CLPTM1L (rs 451360) (c.1532+ 1051C>A) genotypes and the incidence of lung cancer in never smokers, especially adenocarcinoma, a subtype of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).
Conclusions: Polymorphism in the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and cleft lip and palate transmembrane 1 like (CLPT-M1L) genes may play an important role in the development of NSCLC, especially adenocarcinoma subtype. The two genes are located in the chromosome 5p15.33.
Keywords: 5p15.33 chromosome; genetic variation; lung cancer; non-smokers..