DNA differences may influence risk of Hodgkin disease

March 9, 2009

A new analysis has found that certain variations in genes that repair DNA can affect a person's risk of developing Hodgkin disease. Published in the April 1, 2009 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that differences in these genes should be further investigated to better understand individuals' susceptibility to this type of cancer.

Proteins that repair damage to DNA are important for maintaining cells' health, particularly for preventing the accumulation of that could increase the chances of becoming cancerous. Researchers have found that, in the general population, there are variations in the genes that encode these DNA repair proteins. Research has also shown a link between reduced DNA repair and susceptibility to a variety of cancers, including breast, colon, and lung .

To determine the potential role of genetic variants—or polymorphisms—in DNA in the development of , Dr. Randa El-Zein and colleagues at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston evaluated the relationship between polymorphisms in five DNA repair genes (XPC, XPD, XPG, XRCC1, and XRCC3) in a population of 200 Hodgkin disease patients and 220 healthy individuals.

These five genes are involved in different pathways that repair DNA by performing different modifications to damaged DNA. Changes in these genes can change the make-up and structure of the proteins that carry out these repair processes and therefore could influence how well DNA repair is performed.

The researchers found that variations in DNA repair genes may modify the risk of HD especially when interactions between the pathways are considered. Depending on the variant or combination thereof, people could be, up to four times more likely to develop the disease.

The authors concluded that "these data suggest that in DNA repair genes may modify the risk of Hodgkin disease especially when interactions between the pathways are considered." They added that genetic variants in the different DNA repair pathways should be further evaluated to better understand their role in Hodgkin disease susceptibility in individuals.

More information: "Genetic polymorphisms in DNA repair genes as modulators of Hodgkin disease risk." Randa El-Zein, Claudia M. Monroy, Carol J. Etzel, Andrea C. Cortes, Yun Xing, Amanda L. Collier, and Sara S. Strom. CANCER; Published Online: March 9, 2009 (DOI: 10.1002/cncr.24205); Print Issue Date: April 15, 2009.

Source: American Cancer Society


Rank not rated yet
Relevant PhysicsForums posts
  • Is Everyday Technology Killing Us?
    createdFeb 08, 2012
  • Exercise and weight loss
    createdFeb 08, 2012
  • Why do we have head aches? Our brains can't feel anything.
    createdFeb 07, 2012
  • "The end of diseases" by David Agus, interview from Daily Show with Jon Stewart
    createdFeb 04, 2012
  • Oncolytic adenovirus
    createdFeb 04, 2012
  • Nutrition label stuffs and diets
    createdFeb 02, 2012
  • More from Physics Forums - Medical Sciences

More news stories

Injured boomers beware: Know when to see doctor

(AP) -- It happened to nurse Jane Byron years after an in-line skating fall, business owner Haralee Weintraub while doing "men's" push-ups, and avid cyclist Gene Wilberg while lifting a heavy box.

Medicine & Health / Health

created 46 minutes ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

FDA-approved drug rapidly clears amyloid from the brain, reverses Alzheimer's symptoms in mice

Neuroscientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have made a dramatic breakthrough in their efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. The researchers' findings, published in the journal Science, show t ...

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Feb 09, 2012 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (53) | comments 21 | with audio podcast

Green tea found to reduce disability in the elderly

(Medical Xpress) -- A lot of research has been done over the past several years looking into the health benefits of green tea. As a result, scientists have found that regular consumption of the beverage leads ...

Medicine & Health / Health

created Feb 07, 2012 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (14) | comments 11 | with audio podcast report

Teen school drop-outs three times as likely to be on benefits in later life

Teen school drop-outs are almost three times as likely to be on benefits in later life as their peers who complete their schooling, indicates research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Medicine & Health / Health

created Feb 06, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 13

To perform with less effort, practice beyond perfection

Whether you are an athlete, a musician or a stroke patient learning to walk again, practice can make perfect, but more practice may make you more efficient, according to a surprising new University of Colorado Boulder study.

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Feb 09, 2012 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (15) | comments 6 | with audio podcast


Google might launch Drive for cloud storage soon

(PhysOrg.com) -- Google's next big move, according to the Wall Street Journal, is a cloud storage service called Drive. Hardly first to the plate, Google is simply catching up to introducing its cloud reposi ...

Latin America mining boom clashes with conservation

Latin America is experiencing a mining boom as prices rise fuelled by a hike in global demand, but the region is also being hit by a wave of violent protests, strikes and rallies by environmentalists.

Love a click away in Indonesia's Twitter Republic

He was a geeky kid from Yogyakarta, she a glamorous city girl in Jakarta. In a country with one of the world's most vibrant social networking scenes they fell in love on Twitter.

Europeans protest controversial Internet pact

Tens of thousands of people marched in protests in more than a dozen European cities Saturday against a controversial anti-online piracy pact that critics say could curtail Internet freedom.

Walney offshore wind farm is world's biggest (for now)

(PhysOrg.com) -- The Walney wind farm on the Irish Sea--characterized by high tides, waves and windy weather--officially opened this week. The farm is treated in the press as a very big deal as the Walney ...

Navy to begin tests on electromagnetic railgun prototype launcher

The Office of Naval Research (ONR)'s Electromagnetic (EM) Railgun program will take an important step forward in the coming weeks when the first industry railgun prototype launcher is tested at a facility ...