The joint effect of interleukin-12B rs3212227 genotype and behavioral factors on oral cancer risk in Taiwanese

Background/Aim: Oral cancer is of the highest incidence worldwide in Taiwan, and a better marker for personalized therapeutic strategies such as immunotherapies is urgently needed. Interleukin-12 (IL12) is a cytokine that has been reported to exhibit potent tumoricidal effects, however, its genotypic contribution to oral cancer is still largely unknown. The current study aimed at investigating whether IL12B rs3212227 genotype is associated with oral cancer in Taiwan. Materials and Methods: Genotypic characteristics of IL12B rs3212227 were determined among 958 oral cancer cases and age- and gender-matched individuals via typical polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methodology. Results: The AA, AC and CC genotypes of IL12B rs3212227 were 38.2, 38.9 and 22.9% in the case group and 36.2, 41.5 and 22.3% in the control group (p=0.5189), respectively. Conclusion: IL12B rs3212227 genotype was associated with oral cancer risk only in betel quid chewers.