Chemokines are potent proinflammatory cytokines that are implicated in numerous inflammatory diseases. Proinflammatory gene polymorphisms lead to variations in the production and concentration of inflammatory proteins. We investigated a possible association between polymorphisms in chemokine and chemokine receptor genes (MCP-1 A-2518G and CCR2-V64I) and bladder cancer risk. Genotypes were determined by PCR-RFLP assays in 72 bladder cancer patients and 76 unrelated age-matched healthy controls.

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... healthy controls. There were significant differences in the frequencies of the MCP-1 A-2518G (P = 0.012) and CCR2-V64I genotypes (P = 0.004) between the controls and patients. The MCP-1 A-2518G GG genotype frequencies for controls and cases were 0.039 and 0.11, respectively; individuals who had the GG genotype had a 3-fold increased risk of bladder cancer (P = 0.08). The CCR2-64I/64I genotype frequencies for controls and cases were 0.02 and 0.13, respectively; subjects carrying the 64I/64I genotype had a 5.9-fold increased risk of bladder cancer compared to the other genotypes. Individuals carrying the CCR2-V64I heterozygote or homozygous variant genotype (64I/64I + wt/64I) had a 2.9-fold increased risk of bladder cancer compared with the wild-type genotype (wt/wt). CCR2-V64I heterozygote or homozygous wild-type genotype (wt/wt + wt/64I) frequencies were significantly