The programmed death-1 gene polymorphism (PD-1.5 C/T) is associated with non-small cell lung cancer risk in a Chinese Han population.

It has been proposed that genetic factors contribute to the susceptibility of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The programmed death-1 (PD1) is an immunoinhibitory receptor belonging to the CD28/B7 family. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between PD-1.5 C/T and NSCLC risk in a Chinese population. A population-based case-control study was conducted in 324 NSCLC patients and 330 cancer-free controls. The genotype of the PD-1.5 C/T was determined by using a polymerase chain reaction assay. Statistically significant difference was observed when the patients and controls were compared according to CC+CT versus TT (OR=2.34, 95% CI 1.35-4.06, P=0.003). The C allele was significantly associated with NSCLC risk (OR=1.421, 95% CI 1.10-1.82, P=0.006). Compared to TNM stage I+II, PD-1.5 C/T significantly increased advanced NSCLC risk (OR=2.66, 95% CI 1.07-6.63, P=0.03). The results from this study suggested that PD-1.5 C/T was potentially related to NSCLC susceptibility in Chinese Han population.