Mutation of the Nrf2 gene in non-small cell lung cancer

Nrf2 (NFE2L2) is a transcription factor belonging to the Cap‘N’Collar subfamily of basic-leucine zipper (bZIP) family of transcription factors, which plays a significant role in adaptive responses to oxidative stress. To investigate the relationship of between the mutation of Nrf2 gene and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), in this study, we sequenced the Nrf2 gene from a total of 103 patients with NSCLC and corresponding blood samples. It is found that there is a discordance of Nrf2 mutations between NSCLC and corresponding blood samples. These differences may indicate that the variants in the Nrf2 gene are associated with an increased risk for lung cancer. In addition, the factor of smoking status is observed to play important roles in triggering the occurrence of the disorder.