Potentially functional polymorphisms in the LIN28B gene contribute to neuroblastoma susceptibility in Chinese children

Neuroblastoma is the most commonly diagnosed solid tumour outside the central nervous system in children. However, genetic factors underlying neuroblastoma remain largely unclear. Previous genome‐wide association study indicated that lin‐28 homolog B (LIN28B) might play an important role in the development of neuroblastoma and also contributed to its poor overall survival. With the purpose to evaluate the association between LIN28B gene polymorphisms and neuroblastoma susceptibility in Southern Chinese population, we conducted this study with 256 neuroblastoma cases and 531 cancer‐free controls. Four potentially functional polymorphisms (rs221634 A>T, rs221635 T>C, rs314276 C>A and rs9404590 T>G) were genotyped using Taqman method. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the associations between the selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and neuroblastoma susceptibility. We also performed genotype‐phenotype association analysis to explore the effects of the selected SNPs on LIN28B gene transcripts. Our results indicated that the rs221634 TT genotype was associated with an increased neuroblastoma risk (TT versus AA/AT: adjusted OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.04–2.17). The association was more pronounced in males, patients with tumour of mediastinum origin, as well as patients in early clinical stages. Moreover, overall analysis and stratified analysis also showed an increased risk of neuroblastoma for carrier of the 2–4 risk genotypes. In summary, these results indicated that the LIN28B rs221634 A>T polymorphism was associated with an increased neuroblastoma risk in Southern Chinese children. These findings need further validation in large studies with different ethnicities involved.