Association between the risk of oral mucositis and IL-8 gene rs4073 polymorphism in head and neck cancer patients treated with radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between Interleukin-8 (IL-8) rs4073 polymorphism and oral mucositis (OM).

DESIGN

A prospective randomized controlled design was employed in this study. The investigation encompassed 107 patients diagnosed with OM following radiotherapy and 153 patients who did not develop OM post-radiotherapy. The study period spanned from the initiation of radiotherapy to six weeks post-treatment. All participants were diagnosed with head and neck cancer and were undergoing radiation therapy. Patient ages ranged from 33 to 75 years. This single-center study was conducted at Southern Hospital. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3.0 (CTCAE) were utilized to evaluate OM. Additionally, genotyped using Sanger sequencing, and serum IL-8 expression levels were quantified by ELISA.

RESULTS

Individuals carrying the A allele (OR=1.470, 95 %CI= (1.028-2.101)) and AA genotype (OR=2.165, 95 %CI=(1.044-4.489)) may face a significantly higher risk of OM (P < 0.05). Notably, the concentration of IL-8 in serum samples from patients with OM was markedly elevated compared to that observed in the control group (P < 0.001). The A allele and AA genotype of the polymorphic site rs4073 of IL-8 were significantly correlated with the severity (A vs. T: OR=1.983, 95 %CI= (1.136-3.460); AA vs. TT: OR= 3.545, 95 %CI= (1.135-11.075)) and intensity of pain (A vs. T: OR=1.889, 95 %CI=(1.095-3.260); AA vs. TT: OR= 3.438, 95 %CI= (1.133-10.425)) in OM (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The IL-8 rs4073 polymorphism may exert a significant influence on the susceptibility to OM after radiation therapy.