Interleukin 1 beta (IL1B) gene polymorphisms are not associated with gastric carcinogenesis in Germany.

Background: Polymorphisms of interleukin-1 beta gene (IL1B-511C>T) are considered as risk factor for gastric carcinogenesis, but conflicting data have been reported recently. Patients and Methods: The distribution of the four major IL1B variants (IL1B-3737C>T, -1464G>C, - 511C>T, -31T>C) were analyzed in 116 and 142 patients with gastric cancer and 'high risk gastritis', respectively, as well as 94 healthy controls. Results: While identified frequencies of genotypes, haplotypes and haplotype pairs corresponded to those of other studies in Caucasians, none were significantly associated with the presence of gastric cancer or premalignant alterations. Conclusion: None of the four major polymorphisms is individually or in its haplotype configuration linked to the development of GC in this Caucasian population in Germany. Gastric cancer (GC) has a multifactorial etiology and develops in the majority (>97%) of patients sporadically (1). The strong association of GC with the infection of the stomach by the gram-negative bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) led to the classification of this germ as definite carcinogen (class I) by the World Health Organization in 1994. H. pylori is currently regarded as the main risk factor for gastric carcinogenesis worldwide and GC eventually develops in 1-3% of all individuals infected with H. pylori (2-4). Besides this infection, other factors such as high intake