Functional polymorphisms and haplotypes in the promoter of the MMP2 gene are associated with risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play important roles in cancer initiation and development. Several polymorphisms in the promoters of a number of MMP genes, which can affect the respective MMP production in an allele-specific manner, have been well characterized. We examined whether these functional polymorphisms were related to the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in Chinese populations. Eight polymorphisms in the promoter of MMP1, MMP2, MMP3, MMP7, MMP9, MMP12, and MMP13 were genotyped in two independent case-control populations; one is from Guangxi province (593 patients with NPC and 480 controls), and the other is from Guangdong province (239 patients and 286 controls). We observed significantly increased susceptibility to NPC for the MMP2 -1306CC (rs243865:C>T) (odds ratio [OR] = 2.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.30-3.10) and -735CC (rs2285053:C>T) (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.17-2.09) genotype carriers compared with noncarriers in the Guangxi population. This association was confirmed in the Guangdong population (for -1306CC: OR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.21-3.96; for -735CC: OR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.13-2.28). The C(-1306)-C(-735) haplotype was also significantly associated with increased susceptibility to NPC in both the Guangxi (OR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.35-1.99) and Guangdong population (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.29-2.19). Furthermore, stratified analysis indicated that the increased susceptibility to NPC related to the -1306CC and -735CC genotype and the C(-1306)-C(-735) haplotype was more pronounced in heavier smokers. Our findings suggest that the genetic polymorphisms or haplotype in the MMP2 promoter may play a role in mediating the susceptibility to NPC in Chinese populations.     

Interleukin-10 gene promoter polymorphisms and their protein production in peritoneal fluid in patients with endometriosis

Although associations of interleukin-10 (IL-10) gene promoter polymorphisms and their protein production with endometriosis risk have been reported, the correlations remain controversial. The objective of this study was to determine IL-10 gene promoter polymorphisms at -1082, -819 and -592 sites and their protein production in peritoneal fluid (PF) in patients with and without endometriosis. IL-10 gene promoter polymorphisms at -1082 site were detected by amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS)-PCR and that at -819 and -592 sites was genotyped by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)-PCR. Protein levels of IL-10 in PF were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). There were no significant differences in the genotype and allele frequencies of IL-10 gene promoter polymorphisms at position -1082 between the endometriosis and the control groups. However, the frequency of -819 or -592 C alleles was significantly increased in patients with endometriosis compared with controls. The protein levels of IL-10 in PF were statistically higher in the endometriosis group than in the control group. Moreover, the polymorphisms at -1082, -819 and -592 sites were associated with protein levels of IL-10 in PF in the endometriosis group while in the control group only the polymorphisms at position -1082 correlated with protein levels. Increased frequency of -819 or -592 C allele and increased protein production of IL-10 in PF in patients with endometriosis compared with controls and correlations of polymorphisms at -819 and -592 sites with protein levels of IL-10 in PF in patients with endometriosis may suggest that polymorphisms at -819 and -592 sites and their protein production are associated with endometriosis risk.     

IL-6基因启动子多态性与乳腺癌风险的关联性

目的:探讨白介素-6(IL-6)基因启动子区-597G/A(rs1800797)、-572C/G(rs1800796)和-174G/C(rs1800795)三个单核苷酸多态性位点(SNP)和乳腺癌易感性的关联性。方法:按照诊断标准,入组女性乳腺癌患者176例及年龄、体重指数等相匹配的健康女性200例。提取外周静脉血DNA,采用聚合酶链反应-限制性片段长度多态性(PCR-RFLP)技术检测IL-6基因启动子区-597G/A、-572C/G和-174 G/C三个SNPs位点的基因型。利用SPSS11.5软件进行χ2检验,比较乳腺癌患者各位点基因型、等位基因频率与健康女性之间的差异,分析各位点多态性与乳腺癌发病风险的关联性。结果:IL-6基因-572C/G位点的基因型及等位基因频率分布在乳腺癌组与健康组之间存在显著性差异(P<0.05),乳腺癌组-572C/G位点的等位基因G频率显著高于健康组(χ2=15.438,P<0.0001,OR=2.017,95%CI=1.417～2.870)。结论:IL-6基因-572C/G位点多态性与乳腺癌易感性相关联,携带有-572G/C多态性位点G等位基因的女性罹患乳腺癌的风险要高于非携带女性。     

Association between Interleukin-10 gene polymorphisms and risk of early-onset preeclampsia

We conducted a case-control study to investigate the role of IL-10 -1082A/G (rs1800896), -819T/C (rs1800871), and -592A/C (rs1800872) polymorphisms in the development of early-onset preeclampsia. Polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay was applied to assess the polymorphisms of IL-10 -1082A/G (rs1800896), -819T/C (rs1800871), and -592A/C (rs1800872). The genotype distributions of IL-10 -1082A/G (rs1800896), -819T/C (rs1800871), and -592A/C (rs1800872) confirmed with HWE in the controls, and the P value for HWE was 0.41, 0.38 and 0.26, respectively. The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the association of individuals expressing the CC genotype and AC+CC of IL-10 -592A/C (rs1800872) with a significantly increased risk of early-onset preeclampsia in co-dominant and dominant models, compared to the AA genotype; the OR (95% CI) for these individuals was determined to be 2.09 (1.12-3.90) and 1.66 (1.03-2.71), respectively. In the recessive model, we found that CC genotype of IL-10 -592A/C (rs1800872) was associated with the increased risk of early-onset preeclampsia when compared with AA+AC genotype (OR = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.01-2.92). In conclusion, our study has indicated that IL-10 -592A/C (rs1800872) polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of early-onset preeclampsia in a Chinese population.     

Association of Interleukin-10 gene promoter polymorphisms in Saudi patients with vitiligo

The promoter region of human Interleukin -10 gene is highly polymorphic and has been associated with numerous autoimmune diseases. Recent studies have linked vitiligo with defective autoimmune system. This study is aimed to explore a possible association between IL-10 gene polymorphism and vitiligo in Saudi population. This case control study consisted of 184 Saudi subjects including 83 vitiligo patients (40 males, 43 females mean age 27.85 +/- 12.43 years) and 101 matched controls. Genomic DNA was extracted from the blood samples of healthy controls and Vitiligo patients visiting out patient clinic of Department of Dermatology, Riyadh Armed Forces Hospital, using QIA ampR DNA mini kit (Qiagen CA, USA). Interleukin-10 gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using Arms primers to detect any polymorphism involved at positions -592, -819 and -1082. The frequencies of GG genotype at -1082, and CC genotype at positions -592 and 819 were significantly higher in vitiligo patients compared to healthy subjects suggesting that GG and CC genotypes might be susceptible to vitiligo in Saudis. On the other hand genotypes -1082 GA, -819 CT, and -592 CA of IL-10 were more prevalent in healthy controls suggesting protective effects of GA, CT and CA genotypes against vitiligo. This study indicates that the IL-10 gene may play a significant role in the etiology of vitiligo among Saudis.     

白细胞介素10启动子基因多态性与强直性脊柱炎的易感性

背景：在强直性脊柱炎患者中,基因多态性很可能影响细胞因子的分泌模式。 目的：在中国胶东半岛地区汉族人强直性脊柱炎患者中,探讨白细胞介素10启动子基因的单核苷酸多态性和单体型与强直性脊柱炎易感性的相关性。 方法：用酶联免疫吸附测定法测定血清中白细胞介素10的水平,用聚合酶链反应和限制性片段长度多态性方法对白细胞介素10基因启动子中的-1082A/G、-819C/T和-592C/A位点的单核苷酸多态性进行分析。 结果与结论：收集了110例强直性脊柱炎患者和120例同种族的健康人,强直性脊柱炎患者组血清中白细胞介素10水平明显高于健康对照组(Z=10.9,P < 0.001),单核苷酸多态性分析显示：在强直性脊柱炎患者组和健康对照组之间-592A/C位点基因型分布和等位基因频率没有明显差异,该研究中没有发现-1082GG基因型。强直性脊柱炎患者-1082G等位基因频率较健康对照组增加(P=0.047),通过logistic回归分析,强直性脊柱炎患者-1082AG基因型的比值比为1.993(95%CI：1.046-3.800,P=0.034 ),而-819CC基因型的比值比为3.125(95%CI：1.246-7.836,P=0.015),此外,单体型分析显示与ATA 基因型相比,GCC基因型显著增加了患强直性脊柱炎的风险(OR=2.19,95%CI：1.13- 4.26,P= 0.020)。结果表明白细胞介素10的基因单体型与中国胶东半岛地区汉族人强直性脊柱炎的易感因素相关。     

Single nucleotide polymorphisms of ataxia telangiectasia mutated and the risk of papillary thyroid carcinoma

Genetic factors associated with susceptibility to papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) are not well known. We evaluated the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and the risk of PTC. A total of 437 histologically confirmed PTC cases and 184 cancer‐free controls without thyroid nodules were recruited. Genotypes with respect to five ATM SNPs (rs189037, rs664677, rs373759, rs664143, and rs4585) were determined by the TaqMan assay, and odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were obtained by logistic regression analysis. Linkage disequilibria and haplotypes were examined from the genotype data. When evaluated separately the genotype distributions of the five ATM SNPs were similar in the PTC cases and controls. Three ATM SNPs (rs373759, rs664143, and rs4585) were found to be in strong linkage disequilibrium (D′ = 1.00, P < 0.001). When the three haplotypes (C‐A‐G), (T‐G‐T), and (C‐G‐T) of these three ATM SNP sites were analyzed, ATM haplotype (C‐G‐T) +/? was associated with a lower risk of PTC than ATM haplotype (C‐G‐T) ?/? (P = 0.03) after adjusting for age and gender. Our results suggest that genetic polymorphisms of ATM may play an important role in the development of thyroid cancer in the Korean population. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 56:70–76, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

韩国人calpain-10基因单核苷酸多态性及其组合型的分析

目的分析发现于墨西哥裔美国人群中的2型糖尿病易感基因calpain-10单核苷酸多态性（single nucletide polymorphism。SNP）及其组合型在韩国人群中的分布。方法采用聚合酶链式反应．限制性片段长度多态性技术，分析312名健康韩国人calpain-10基因UCSNP-43、-19、-63位点的基因型及其组合型，计算基因型、等位基因和组合型频率。结果UCSNP-43位点基因型频率为1／1型的是86．2％、1／2型的是13．5％、2／2型的是0．3％，等位基因频率为G的是0．930、A0．070。UCSNP-19位点基因型频率为1／1型的是9．9％、1／2型的是44．6％、2／2型的是45．5％，等位基因频率为D的是0．322、I的是0．678。UCSNP-63位点基因型频率为1／1型的是57．4％、1／2型的是35．9％、2／2型的是6．7％，等位基因频率为C的是0．754、T的是0．246。各基因型分布匀符合Hardy-Weinberg平衡定律。韩国人中上述3个单核苷酸多态性基因型组合类型共见12种，75．6％由3种基因型组合构成。按UCSNP-43，-19，-63排列，分别为GG-DI-CC（单倍型组合111／121）、GG-DI-CT（112／121）、GC-II-CC（121／121），其频率分别为10．6％、28．8％、36．2％。结论韩国人calpain-10基因SNP分布与白人、美籍墨西哥人及美籍Pima印第安人等种族间存在较大差异，与中国和日本人群较为相近，其112／121单倍型组合频率显著高于美籍墨西哥人。     

Bile acids cycle disruption in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma promotes the elevation of interleukin-10 secretion

Background

Unclear pathogenesis existed for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Aims

to analyze the role of bile acids in the pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Methods

20 healthy volunteers and 20 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were enrolled between January 1^st, 2013 and December 31^st, 2014. ESI-QTOF-MS analysis of serum was performed to find altered bile acids components. The biological function of changed bile acids was investigated using in vitro experiment.

Results

Compared with healthy volunteers, the level of DCA and GDCA exhibited higher abundance in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (p<0.01). Furthermore, the biological function was investigated for the inhibition of DCA and GDCA towards the secretion of IL-10 by CD4+CD25− T cells. Both DCA and GDCA significantly inhibited the secretion of IL-10 by CD4+CD25− T cells. Furthermore, DCA+GDCA can show stronger inhibition towards the secretion of IL-10 than DCA and GDCA.

Conclusion

The inhibition of IL-10 secretion by elevated DCA and GDCA components in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients is the inducer for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.     

No association between IL-10 promoter gene polymorphism and heart failure or rejection following cardiac transplantation

Expression of interleukin (IL)-10 influences the frequency of rejection events after organ transplantation. Therefore, 70 heart transplant patients were genotyped for three single nucleotide polymorphisms and a microsatellite polymorphism in the promotor region of the IL-10 gene. The promoter region was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and genotyped by a colorometric oligo ligation assay and gene scan analysis, respectively. Patient groups consisted of patients suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy or ischaemic heart disease. Cardiac donors served as control group. No correlation was found between genotypes and heart failure or rejection after heart transplantation. This may indicate that in heart transplantation, the total balance of cytokine production is more important for post-transplant rejection activities than the levels of IL-10 as such.     

MMP-12、-13基因多态性与上皮性卵巢癌发病风险的关联研究

目的 探讨MMP-12、-13基因启动子区功能多态性与上皮性卵巢癌发病风险的关系.方法 应用聚合酶链反应-限制性片段长度多态性方法 检测300例上皮性卵巢癌患者和300名对照妇女的MMP-12-82A/G及MMP-13-77A/G单核甘酸多态性(single nucleotide polymorphism,SNP)的基因型和等位基因频率分布情况.结果 上皮性卵巢癌组中MMP-12-82A/G SNP的A、G等位基因频率和AA、AG基因型频率与对照组相比差异有统计学意义(P=0.004;P=0.003);与AA基因型比较,AG基因型可显著增加上皮性卵巢癌的发病风险(OR=2.81,95%CI:1.38～5.74).MMP-13-77 A/G SNP的等位基因及基因型频率在上皮性卵巢癌组和对照组中分布差异无统计学意义(P=0.06和P=0.15),但根据病理类型分层分析发现,与GG基因型相比,AA基因型可显著增加浆液性及粘液性上皮性卵巢癌的发病风险(OR=1.93,95%CI:1.05～3.53;OR=5.16,95%CI:1.62～16.44).结论 MMP-12-82 A/G和MMP-13-77A/G多态性位点可能为上皮性卵巢癌或特定病理类型上皮性卵巢癌发病的独立风险因素.     

Association between the Interleukin-10 -1082 G/A polymorphism and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma

BackgroundInconsistent results have been reported from studies investigating the relationship of the interleukin-10 (IL-10) -1082 G/A polymorphism and the susceptibility of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, a thorough literature review of relatedstudies was performed in this meta-analysis to examine the association of the interleukin-10(IL-10) -1082 G/A polymorphism with HCC susceptibility.MethodsElectronic databases were searched for literature on the relationship between interleukin-10(IL-10) -1082 G/A polymorphism and the risk of HCC in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The selected studies were analyzed using the Stata 12.0 software. Finally, the strength of the associations was evaluated using the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).ResultsA total of six case-control studies were enrolled into the current meta-analysis, which included a total of 911 patients and 1889 control subjects. Our data revealed no association between the IL-10 -1082 G/A polymorphism and the risk of HCC (GG vs AA:OR=0.84, 95%CI=0.57–1.25; AG vs AA:OR=0.85, 95%CI=0.70–1.05; Dominant model: OR=0.85, 95%CI=0.70–1.03; and Recessive model: OR=0.92, 95%CI = 0.64–1.32). Similarly, no association was found in sub-group analysis based on ethnicity.ConclusionThe results of our study suggest no association between IL-10 -1082 G/A polymorphism and the risk of HCC.     

Conservation and mutation of viral interleukin-10 gene in gastric carcinomas and nasopharyngeal carcinomas

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) BamHI-C fragment rightward reading frame 1 (BCRF1)-coded viral interleukin-10 (vIL-10), exhibits high homology with human interleukin-10 (hIL-10) gene. The protein product vIL-10, which shares some functional properties with hIL-10, primarily mediates immunosuppressive functions. To characterize the variations of the vIL-10 gene and to explore the association between vIL-10 gene variations and EBV associated diseases, the vIL-10 gene was analyzed (using direct sequencing) in 41 cases of EBV-associated gastric carcinoma (EBVaGC), 83 nasopharyngeal carcinoma biopsies, and 40 throat washing samples from healthy donors in Northern China. One silent mutation (c9980a) was observed in the majority of EBVaGC, nasopharyngeal carcinoma and throat washing samples (134/164, 81.7%). Two consensus mutations (V6M and G23S) were identified in the signal peptide region in some nasopharyngeal carcinoma and throat washing isolates. These results indicate that the pattern B95-8 (identical sequence to B95-8) is the dominant type among the EBV isolates from Northern China, while the pattern SPM (mutation in the signal peptide present only in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and throat washing isolates) seems more relevant with the EBV-positive nasopharyngeal and laryngopharyngeal epithelial cells. The conservation of vIL-10, with a few variations, suggests the critical role of the vIL-10 gene for EBV in gaining an advantage over the host's immune system.     

Proximal interleukin-10 gene polymorphisms in Italian patients with systemic sclerosis

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) can favour the development of fibrosis by promoting a relative shift towards T helper 2 responses. Three single base pair substitutions in the 5' flanking region of the IL-10 gene (G/A -1082, C/T -819 and C/A -592) influence the amount of IL-10 secreted in cell cultures: the GCC haplotype is associated with an increased production, while the ACC and the ATA haplotypes are associated with intermediate and decreased production. Accordingly, three phenotypes have been individuated: high producers (GCC+/GCC+), medium producers (GCC+/GCC-) and low producers (GCC-/GCC-). We hypothesised that IL-10 haplotypes and genotypes are differently expressed in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) with the limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc) subset or the diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) subset. One hundred and sixty-one unrelated Italian patients with SSc and 94 controls have been included. Their DNA was extracted and stored before being analysed by polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers. The GCC haplotype is overrepresented in patients with SSc; subjects with dcSSc were the primary contributors to these results (dcSSc: 52.2% vs controls: 37.2%; chi2= 8.519, 2 d.f., corrected P= 0.04). In Scl70-positive patients, the GCC haplotype increased the likelihood of presenting the dcSSc subset [chi2= 12.56, P < 0.0005; odds ratio (OR) = 3.89, 95% confidence interval (CI(95)) = 1.69-9.08]; these results were confirmed at the phenotypic level (chi2= 11.67, 2 d.f., P= 0.003). In Scl70-positive patients, the high-producing phenotype was associated with poor survival, independently from disease subset and gender (hazard ratio = 9.9, CI(95)= 1.6-61.27, P < 0.05). The IL-10 haplotype and genotype associated with high IL-10 production may alter the susceptibility to SSc and/or its expression, increasing the prognostic value of other well-known markers of disease severity.     

中国汉族人群白细胞介素10启动子区基因多态性的等位基因频率

目的：了解中国汉族人群中白细胞介素10（IL-10）启动子区基因多态性的等位基因频率。方法：应用聚合酶链-限制性片段长度多态性分析（PCR—RFLP）技术,对131例健康中国汉族受检样本进行IL-10592、819、-1082三个位点的基因型检测。结果：IL-10-592位点A／A、C／A、C／C基因型频率分别为42．7％、36．6％、20．7％,IL-10 -819位点T／T、T／C、C／C基因型频率分别为42．7％、36．6％、20．7%;其相关等位基因频率与意大利高加索人及英国曼彻斯特人相比有显著性差异,但与韩国人之间的差异无统计学意义。结论：不同国家人群间存在IL-10启动子区基因多态性的差异。     

Interleukin-10 and interferon-gamma gene polymorphisms in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a multifactorial disease. Cytokines driving the immune response seem to be disturbed in NPC patients. Since interleukin-10 (IL-10) is known to reduce the production of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), we supposed that genetic differences in IL-10 and IFN-gamma expression could be a mechanism by which NPC cells escape antitumour immune response. As the production of each cytokine is affected by the genetic background, we investigated the possible association between single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes of IL-10 and IFN-gamma with NPC. Different IL-10 -1082 G/A and IFN-gamma+874 Tau/Alpha genotypes were determined in 160 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and 197 healthy controls. No association was found either for each SNP studied alone or for the combined analysis for both IL-10 and IFN-gamma polymorphisms among NPC patients in comparison with controls. Compared with individuals from high incidence countries, we noted huge significant differences in genotype distribution between individuals from low and intermediate NPC incidence countries. Polymorphisms of the IL-10 and IFN-gamma do not appear to be associated with NPC risk in the Tunisian population. Nevertheless, we strongly believe that the relationship between cytokines polymorphisms and NPC susceptibility deeply depends on the ethnicity.     

Interleukin-23 receptor gene polymorphisms is associated with dilated cardiomyopathy in Chinese Han population

Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterized by ventricular chamber enlargement and systolic dysfunction with normal left ventricular wall thickness. The pathogenesis of DCM has been extensively investigated for many years, but it remains uncertain. Recently, many studies indicated that autoimmune mechanisms are likely to participate in the pathogenesis of DCM. Interleukin-23 receptor ( IL-23R ) gene polymorphisms have been previously found to be associated with autoimmune diseases. To assess the role of IL-23R in DCM, we examined three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IL-23R gene, namely, rs1884444, rs11465817 and rs10889677. A total of 176 DCM patients and 216 controls were included in the study, and all SNPs were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism. Our results showed that SNP rs10889677, but not rs1884444 and rs11465817, had association with DCM in Chinese Han population. The results suggest that IL-23R polymorphisms appear to play an important role in the susceptibility of DCM in Chinese Han population.     

Interleukin-10 gene promoter polymorphisms in celiac patients from north-eastern Italy

Celiac disease is a complex chronic intestinal disorder driven by an immune response against the gliadin fraction of gluten: many factors are involved in the pathogenesis of the disease, and among these Interleukin-10 could play an important role. In the present study, the −1082A>G, −819T>C and −592A>C IL10 functional polymorphisms were analyzed in 565 celiac patients and 576 healthy controls from north-eastern Italy, stratified for HLA class II celiac disease risk haplotypes. No significant differences were observed for the three IL10 polymorphisms distribution between celiac patients and controls with the exception of a slightly increased risk for the −1082A allele in HLA-DQ8 male individuals. Although our findings suggest that the IL10 genetic variants analyzed do not have a major role in the susceptibility to the development of celiac disease in north-eastern Italian patients, we think that the possible involvement of IL10 gene in CD should deserve further investigation and that large-scale studies are recommended to confirm our findings.     

Association of hepatocellular carcinoma risk with polymorphisms in tumour necrosis factor alpha gene in a Chinese Han population

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer‐related death worldwide. Studies have shown that the tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) plays an important role in the development of HCC; however, the association between genetic variations of TNF‐α and HCC is not yet fully understood. To evaluate the correlation of TNF‐α polymorphisms with HCC, we randomly selected 327 HCC patients and 432 healthy controls, all these subjects reported Han nationality. Genotyping of four TNF‐α SNPs (rs1799724, rs1800629, rs1799964 and rs1800610) was performed using the matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization‐time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF‐MS) method. Distributions of rs1799964 genotypes and rs1800610 alleles were found to be significantly different between cases and controls (p = .011, p = .001). The recessive model of rs1799964 significantly increased HCC risk (p = .0015), while the dominant and over‐dominant models of rs1800610 significantly reduced HCC risk (p = .0096, p = .014). Haplotype analysis of the four TNF‐α SNPs revealed that the TGTA haplotype was associated with a reduced HCC risk (p = .0033, OR = 0.53), while the TGTG haplotype was associated with an increased HCC risk (p = .0032, OR = 9.69). These findings indicated that specific TNF‐α polymorphisms may be associated with the susceptibility to HCC.