title: Diet, acetylator phenotype, and risk of colorectal neoplasia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inherited or acquired differences in metabolic pathways that activate or inactivate dietary carcinogens may influence the risk of developing cancer. A polymorphism in N-acetyltransferase classified people into fast and slow acetylators. This enzyme catalyses the formation of mutagenic products from foodstuffs, especially cooked meat and fish. Some data suggest that fast acetylators are at higher risk of colorectal cancer. We have studied the adenoma and cancer risk in relation to meat intake and acetylator status.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a case-control study, we compared 110 patients with colorectal cancer, 89 patients with colorectal adenomatous polyps, and 110 controls. Acetylator status was assessed by the rate of acetylation of sulphamethazine given orally.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The fast-acetylator phenotype was associated with odds ratios of 1.1 (95% Cl 0.6-2.1) and 1.8 (1.0-3.3) for adenoma and colorectal cancer, respectively. The highest risk occurred in the youngest tertile (< 64 years) of cases (2.5 [0.7-9.4] and 8.9 [2.6-30.4], respectively). There was no difference between the sexes. The risk of adenoma or cancer increased with increasing intake of meat in fast but not in slow acetylators: covariate-adjusted odds of disease over three levels of meat consumption were 2.1 (0.9-4.7) for adenoma, 1.7 (0.9-3.5) for cancer, and 1.9 (1.0-3.7) for all tumours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that acetylator status modulates the risk of colorectal neoplasia associated with meat intake.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, South Australia.
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Roberts-Thomson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Khoo
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: McMichael
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Butler
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D018256:Adenomatous Polyps / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase