title: Role of N-acetyltransferase phenotype in human susceptibility to bladder carcinogenic arylamines.
abstract: N-acetyltransferase activity is species-specific and in animal experiments a determinant of the susceptibility of each species to arylamine bladder carcinogens. The effect of N-acetylation is that of inactivation. In humans, N-acetyltransferase activity is also genetically determined so that two N-acetyltransferase phenotypes exist, a rapid acetylator phenotype and a slow acetylator phenotype. N-acetyltransferase phenotype was determined in 71 bladder cancer patients and in 74 control subjects from Copenhagen. The distribution of the slow acetylator phenotype among the bladder cancer patients was 65% in control to 51% among the control subjects, indicating that the N-acetyltransferase phenotype also in humans may be a determinant of the susceptibility of each individual to arylamine carcinogens. In addition, this finding indicates that carcinogenic arylamines also play a role in bladder carcinogenesis in Copenhagen. Such studies may identify risk groups in a population and may reveal geographical areas with arylamine induced bladder cancer.
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002273:Carcinogens; D003718:Denmark; D006801:Humans; D006898:Hydroxylamines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D010641:Phenotype; D012306:Risk; D013045:Species Specificity; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000814:Aniline Compounds; D002273:Carcinogens; D006898:Hydroxylamines; D000123:Acetyltransferases