Association of polymorphisms in survivin gene with the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in Chinese han population: a case control study

A case-control study was conducted in Chinese han population consisting of 178 HCC cases and 196 cancer-free controls. Information on demographic data and related risk factors was collected for all subjects. Polymorphisms of the survivin gene, including three loci of rs8073069, rs9904341 and rs1042489, were selected and genotyped by a polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. Association analysis of genotypes/alleles and haplotypes from these loci with the risk of HCC was conducted under different genetic models.Using univariate analysis of rs8073069, rs9904341 and rs1042489 under different genetic models, no statistically significant difference was found in genotype or allele distribution of HCC cases relative to the controls (P > 0.05). Linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis showed that these loci were in LD. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that with no G-C-T haplotype as reference, the haplotype of G-C-T from these loci was associated with a lower risk for HCC under the recessive model (OR = 0.46, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.24~0.90, P = 0.023). Both HBsAg+ and the medical history of viral hepatitis type B were risk factors for HCC. However, no statistically significant haplotype-environment interaction existed.No association between rs8073069, rs9904341 or rs1042489 in survivin gene and the risk of HCC is found in Chinese han population, but rs8073069G-rs9904341C- rs1042489T is perhaps a protective haplotype for HCC.Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer in the world and the third most common cause of cancer-related death, which represents a major and constantly rising health burden throughout the world. In addition, HCC shows great geographical variation, with a very high incidence in China, where approximately 55% of annual new cases worldwide emerge [1,2]. Nowadays, the exact mechanism of hepatocarcinogenesis is still incompletely understood. However, a number of relevant mol