The contribution of interleukin-12A genotypes to oral cancer risk in taiwanese

Background/Aim: Oral cancer incidence is highest worldwide in Taiwan, and practical markers for personalized therapeutic strategies such as immunotherapies, is lacking. Interleukin-12 (IL12) is a cytokine that is reported to exhibit potent tumoricidal effects, however, its genotypic contribution to oral cancer is still largely unknown. We aimed to examine whether IL12A rs568408 and rs2243115 genotypes are associated with oral cancer risk in Taiwan. Materials and Methods: Genotypic characteristics of IL12A were determined among 958 oral cancer cases and age- and gender-matched individuals via typical polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism methodology. Results: The variant genotypes of IL12A rs568408 and rs2243115 were not found to be significantly associated with elevated oral cancer risk (all p>0.05). Moreover, there was no interaction between IL12A genotypes and personal smoking, alcohol drinking and betel quid chewing behaviors (all p>0.05). Conclusion: IL12A rs568408 and rs2243115 genotypes may not serve as good predictors for oral cancer risk.