Polymorphism of The Regulatory Region of the ITGAM Gene (-323G>A) as a Novel Predictor of a Poor Nutritional Status in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Subjected to Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy

Marcin Mazurek; Radosław Mlak; Iwona Homa-Mlak; Tomasz Powrózek; Anna Brzozowska; Paweł Gołębiowski; Teresa Małecka-Massalska

doi:10.3390/jcm9124041

Polymorphism of The Regulatory Region of the ITGAM Gene (-323G>A) as a Novel Predictor of a Poor Nutritional Status in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Subjected to Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy

J Clin Med. 2020 Dec 14;9(12):4041. doi: 10.3390/jcm9124041.

Authors

Marcin Mazurek¹, Radosław Mlak¹, Iwona Homa-Mlak¹, Tomasz Powrózek¹, Anna Brzozowska², Paweł Gołębiowski², Teresa Małecka-Massalska¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Human Physiology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland.
² II Department of Radiotherapy, Center of Oncology of the Lublin Region St. John of Dukla, 20-059 Lublin, Poland.

Abstract

Background: The most serious disturbance of the nutritional status is neoplastic cachexia. The main factor contributing to the development of cachexia is the ongoing inflammatory process. The gene associated with the development of the inflammatory response is ITGAM. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the relationship between a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-323G>A of the ITGAM gene and the occurrence of nutritional disorders in patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT) due to head and neck cancers (HNC).

Methods: The study involved 71 patients with HNC treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). SNP analysis of the ITGAM gene (-323G>A) was performed using commercial molecular probes and Real-Time PCR.

Results: The presence of the A allele of the ITGAM gene significantly (over 14-fold) reduced the risk of severe disturbances in nutritional status assessed according to the subjective global assessment (SGA) scale (odds ratio (OR) = 0.07; p = 0.0213). The GG genotype of this gene was associated with an over three-fold higher risk of shortened overall survival (OR = 3.01; p = 0.0376).

Conclusions: Determination of the SNP (-323G>A) of the ITGAM gene may prove to be a useful marker in the assessment of the risk of nutritional disorders in patients with HNC undergoing RT.

Keywords: IMRT; ITGAM; cancer cachexia; head and neck cancer; malnutrition; polymorphism; radiotherapy.