A T2517C polymorphism in the GSTM4 gene is associated with risk of developing lung cancer.
The human Mu class Glutathione S-Transferases is a family of genes encoding phase II detoxifying enzymes thus playing a significant role in the detoxification of potential carcinogens. While there are many contradicting reports on the association of GSTM1 polymorphisms and cancer development, no studies exist to date describing polymorphisms in GSTM4. We have identified a new C-T polymorphism in intron 6 of the GSTM4 gene (T2517C, Genebank sequence accession number X68677) and termed the allele carrying T at this position allele *A and the allele carrying C, allele *B. Screening a population sample in Merseyside, England, revealed 23 carriers of the *B allele out of 156 healthy control individuals but only 12 carriers of the *B allele out of 163 individuals with lung cancer (O.R.=2.23, Fisher's test P=0.026). The polymorphism did not demonstrate any associations with tumour type, gender, and age at presentation. This is the first report on the implication of a polymorphism in the GSTM4 gene in lung cancer risk. Further studies are required to investigate the relation of this polymorphism to cancer risk to substantiate these findings.
Molecular Oncology Unit, Roy Castle International Centre for Lung Cancer Research, 200 London Road, Liverpool L3 9TA, United Kingdom.
Triantafillos
T
Liloglou
Matthew
M
Walters
Paul
P
Maloney
Judith
J
Youngson
John K
JK
Field
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001483:Base Sequence; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate
D017931:DNA Primers; D005982:Glutathione Transferase