Genetic polymorphisms of lncRNA-p53 regulatory network genes are associated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy toxicities and efficacy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

The relevance of the transcription factor p53 in cancer is inarguable, and numerous lncRNAs are involved in the p53 regulatory network as either regulators or effectors, triggering a transcriptional response that causes either cell arrest or apoptosis following DNA damage in a p53-dependent manner. Despite the fact that the therapeutic response is improved in NPC, heterogeneity among people remains with regard to the susceptibility of adverse effects and the efficacy of treatments. Therefore, we analysed eight potentially functional SNPs of five genes in the lncRNA-p53 regulatory network in a discovery cohort of 505 NPC patients. By performing multivariate logistic regression, the impact of genetic variations on the efficacy and risk of CRT-induced toxicities was investigated. The most dramatic finding was that the MEG3 rs10132552 CC genotype had a greater than three-fold increased risk of developing grade 3–4 anaemia (OR = 3.001, 95%CI = 1.355–6.646, P = 0.007). Furthermore, the rs10132552 CT genotype had a better response to treatment (OR = 0.261, 95%CI = 0.089–0.770, P = 0.015). Individuals carrying LINC-ROR rs2027701 with one or two variant alleles had significant associations with a reduced risk of neutropaenia (OR = 0.503, 95%CI = 0.303–0.835, P = 0.008). In conclusion, our results suggested that genetic polymorphisms of the lncRNA-p53 regulatory network could play a potential role in reducing treatment-related toxicities and improving outcomes for NPC patients.