A study of RET proto-oncogene polymorphisms in association with lung cancer risk in the Korean population

Background/Aim: This study examined whether the polymorphisms at the promoter region of RET gene are associated with the risk of lung cancer in the Korean population. Patients and Methods: A total of 409 Korean lung cancer patients and 409 normal subjects were recruited. PCR-RFLP, SNaP Shot assay and logistic regression analyses were performed to characterize the association between polymorphisms of RET and lung cancer risk. Results: Four SNPs (-1697 C>G, -1260 C>T, -719 C>T, -527 C>A) of RET were selected for large-scale genotyping. Statistical analyses revealed that novel -1260 C > T polymorphism and haplotype 3 (-1697G, -1260T, -719C, and -719C) were associated with the risk of lung cancer; specifically, there were significant associations within subgroups of males and smokers. Conclusion: These results demonstrated that this novel polymorphism of the RET gene is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer in the Korean population.