Association between IL-1RN VNTR polymorphism and head and neck cancer in Indonesian population

The interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RN) is a natural antagonist of IL-1 receptors, and its 86-bp variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism within intron 2 has been associated with the development of several cancers. This study aimed to evaluate the IL-1RN polymorphism for its potential association with head and neck cancer in Indonesia population. Polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed on stored blood-derived DNA samples from 110 control participants and 90 patients with head and neck cancer for the IL-1RN VNTR polymorphism. Chi-square and odds ratio were used for the statistical analysis. This study showed no significant difference in the frequencies of genotypes or alleles in either the control or the cancer groups. However, a larger sample size could reveal a more significant difference between the groups. The IL-1RN VNTR polymorphism was not associated with head and neck cancer in the studied Indonesian population.