RESEARCH ARTICLE Influence of functional polymorphisms in TNF-α, IL-8, and IL-10 cytokine genes on mRNA expression levels and risk of gastric cancer Juliana Garcia de Oliveira 1,2 & Ana Flávia Teixeira Rossi 1 & Daniela Manchini Nizato 3 & Aline Cristina Targa Cadamuro 1 & Yvana Cristina Jorge 1 & Marina Curado Valsechi 4 & Larissa Paola Rodrigues Venâncio 5 & Paula Rahal 4 & Érika Cristina Pavarino 3 & Eny Maria Goloni-Bertollo 3 & Ana Elizabete Silva 1 Received: 18 December 2014 /Accepted: 19 May 2015 # International Society of Oncology and BioMarkers (ISOBM) 2015 Abstract Functional polymorphisms in promoter regions can produce changes in the affinity of transcription factors, thus altering the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression levels of inflammatory cytokines associated with the risk of cancer development. The goal of this study was to evaluate the influence that polymorphisms in the cytokine genes known as TNF-α-308 G/A (rs1800629), TNF-α-857 C/T (rs1799724), IL-8-251 T/A (rs4073), IL-8-845 T/C (rs2227532), and IL-10- 592 C/A (rs1800872) have on changes to mRNA expression levels and on the risks of chronic gastritis (CG) and gastric cancer (GC). A sample of 723 individuals was genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. Relative mRNA expression levels were measured using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Polymorphisms TNF-α-308 G/A and IL-8-251 A/T were not associated with risks of these gastric lesions. However, TNF-α-857 C/T, IL-8-845 T/C, and IL-10- 592 C/A were found to be associated with a higher risk of GC, and IL-10-592 C/A was found to be associated with a higher risk of CG. The relative mRNA expression levels (RQ) of TNF-α, IL-8, and IL-10 were markedly downregulated in the CG group (median RQs=0.128, 0.247, and 0.614, respective- ly), while the RQ levels of TNF-α in the GC group were upregulated (RQ=2.749), but were basal for IL-8 (RQ= * Juliana Garcia de Oliveira juliana.usc2012@yahoo.com.br Ana Flávia Teixeira Rossi rossi.anaflavia@gmail.com Daniela Manchini Nizato danymanchini@hotmail.com Aline Cristina Targa Cadamuro ctc.aline@gmail.com Yvana Cristina Jorge yvanacj@hotmail.com Marina Curado Valsechi mcvalsechi@hotmail.com Larissa Paola Rodrigues Venâncio larissa.bluerose@gmail.com Paula Rahal prahal@ibilce.unesp.br Érika Cristina Pavarino erika@famerp.br Eny Maria Goloni-Bertollo eny.goloni@famerp.br Ana Elizabete Silva anabete@ibilce.unesp.br 1 Cytogenetics and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Rua Cristovão Colombo, 2265, São José do Rio Preto 15054-000, SP, Brazil 2 Department of Graduate Studies and Research, Sacred Heart University (USC), Rua Irmã Arminda, 10-50, Bauru 17011-970, SP, Brazil 3 Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, São José do Rio Preto School of Medicine (FAMERP), Av. Brigadeiro Faria Lima, 5416, São José do Rio Preto 15090-000, SP, Brazil 4 Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biology, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Rua Cristovão Colombo, 2265, São José do Rio Preto 15054-000, SP, Brazil 5 Laboratory for the Study of Hemoglobin and the Genetics of Hematologic Diseases, Department of Biology, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Rua Cristovão Colombo, 2265, São José do Rio Preto 15054-000, SP, Brazil Tumor Biol. DOI 10.1007/s13277-015-3593-x