Association of GSTP1 polymorphism and survival for esophageal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST) is associated with detoxification of xenobiotics and the maintenance of cell viability. Genetically variant GSTs produce different enzymatic activities. The clinical significance of this variation is still puzzling. We investigated whether genetic polymorphisms of GST including GSTP1, GSTM1, and GSTT1 affect survival among esophageal cancer patients.


METHODS
From 1996 to 2002, 233 patients with pathologically proven esophageal cancer were recruited from the Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital. GST genotypes, including GSTT1, GSTM1, and GSTP1, were determined by PCR or PCR-RFLP. The influence of the genetic polymorphisms on patient survival was estimated using the method of Kaplan-Meier survival function and Cox proportional hazards models.


RESULTS
The mean survival times (months) of the GSTP1 Ile/Ile, Ile/Val, and Val/Val were 11, 10, and 7, respectively (P < 0.05). The more the patients carried GSTP1 variant Val alleles, the poorer the survival rate (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.84; Ptrend = 0.045). In contrast, no association of GSTT1 or GSTM1 genotypes with survival rate was noted.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of the GSTP1 variant allele (Val) is associated with a poorer prognosis of esophageal cancer.
Department of Surgery and Graduate Institute of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. ntuhlee@yahoo.com
Jang-Ming
JM
Lee
Ming-Tsang
MT
Wu
Yung-Chie
YC
Lee
Shi-Yi
SY
Yang
Jin-Shing
JS
Chen
Hsao-Hsun
HH
Hsu
Pei-Ming
PM
Huang
Shuenn-Wen
SW
Kuo
Chun-Jean
CJ
Lee
Chien-Jen
CJ
Chen
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D016019:Survival Analysis