Abstract
OBJECTIVE
Aurora-A, a serine/threonine kinase, localized at centrosome, assists chromosomal separation and mitotic spindle stability during mitosis. We hypothesize that Aurora-A polymorphisms might modulate the risk of oral cancer.
METHOD
We used a hospital-based case-control study to assess the association between Aurora-A polymorphisms and risk of oral cancer. Cases and controls were matched on age, race, and smoking status. The single nucleotide polymorphisms[31I (T/A)] of Aurora-A were genotyped. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were obtained using unconditional logistic regression analysis.
RESULTS
A total of 30 with oral cancer and 30 controls were genotyped for SNP. The data indicated that the homozygous variant genotype (AA) was associated with a significantly increased oral cancer risk. However, the individuals with heterozygous genotype (TA) were not associated with oral cancer risk.
CONCLUSION
This is the first epidemiological study to report significant associations between Aurora-A[F31I] SNP and oral cancer risk.