Association between variable number of tandem repeat polymorphism of thymidylate synthase gene and efficacy of pemetrexed in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer / 肿瘤

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the association between variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism in 5'-untranslation region (5'-UTR) of thymidylate synthase (TS ) gene and the efficacy of pemetrexed-based treatment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 90 patients with advanced NSCLC and the genomic DNAs were extracted from these blood samples. The VNTR polymorphism in 5'-UTR of TS gene was detected by fluorescent labeled PCR and multiplex short tandem repeat polymerase chain reaction in combination with capillary electrophoresis. Results: The homozygosis (3R/3R and 2R/2R) and heterozygosis (2R/3R and 3R/4R) of VNTR polymorphism in 5'-UTR of TS gene were not associated with the efficacy of pemetrexed. The progression-free survivals, disease control rates and the objective response rates in patients harboring homozygosis (3R/3R and 2R/2R) and heterozygosis (2R/3R and 3R/4R) were 112 and 94 d (P = 0.549), 64.3% and 67.6% (P = 0.745), and 12.5% and 8.8% (P = 0.591), respectively. The patients harboring 2R alleles had similar clinical outcomes as compared with those harboring 3R alleles (progression-free survival P = 0.518; disease control rate P = 0.631; objective response rate P = 0.541). Conclusion: TS gene VNTR polymorphism may not be associated with clinical outcomes of advanced NSCLC treated with pemetrexed. Copyright © 2012 by TUMOR.