Abstract

Background: Lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related worldwide deaths, largely results from the combined effects of smoking exposure and genetic susceptibility. CHRNA3, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor gene, is associated with lung cancer risk. This study sought to identify variations in exon 3 of CHRNA3 in an Iranian population with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and methods: A case-control study including 147 individuals with lung cancer and 145 healthy individuals was conducted. As mobility shift caused by nucleotide substitutions might be due to a conformational change of single-stranded DNAs, we designated these as single-strand conformation polymorphisms (SSCPs). PCR amplified products with SSCP were subjected to DNA sequencing. Results: The sequencing results showed 3 polymorphisms in exon 3 of CHRNA3, rs8040868, rs763384023 and rs2869547, the latter two of which have not been reported in NSCLC, previously. Conclusion: It appears that the rs8040868 may be considered as a pathogenic mutation associated with the clinical phenotype. Polymorphisms are important factors for development of cancers and may provide additional insights into mechanisms underlying NSCLC.