title: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism: association with risk for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia and response during the initial phase of chemotherapy in greek patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As of late, a number of studies have focused on the association of the gene for methyletetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) with risk for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children and in adults, as well as with response to chemotherapy. The degree of this association may vary according to the ethnic background and geographic localization of the population under study, or the phase of treatment when response to chemotherapy is concerned.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have analyzed the MTHFR C677T polymorphism in 52 patients and 88 control individuals, all ethnic Greek residents of northern Greece, and examined the association of this polymorphism with (a) susceptibility to childhood ALL and (b) the distribution of average plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, white blood cell counts (WBC), and hemoglobin levels (Hb) during the induction and consolidation phases of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We were able to detect a statistically significant protective effect, with respect to ALL, associated with carriage of the MTHFR 677T allele [OR = 0.387 (95% CI = 0.193-0.776)]. In addition, we observed a general tendency towards lower values in all three parameters studied, associated with the MTHFR 677CC genotype, which was more evident in the transition from the induction to the consolidation phase, indicating that MTHFR genotyping may be of prognostic value in the early phase of treatment for childhood ALL, in our population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Pharmacology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chatzidakis
authors.forename: Antonis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goulas
authors.forename: Fani
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Athanassiadou-Piperopoulou
authors.forename: Liana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fidani
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Koliouskas
authors.forename: Vassiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mirtsou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2); D000410:Alanine Transaminase