Lack of association between MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the Kurdish population from Western Iran.
OBJECTIVE
Polymorphism in genes involved in folate metabolism may influence the susceptibility to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The aim of the present study was to determine the role of the two most common polymorphisms of the 5, 10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene, MTHFR C677T and A1298C, and their interaction on the susceptibility to ALL.


METHODS
Seventy-two children with ALL and 109 age- and sex-matched healthy children from Western Iran were screened for MTHFR C677T and A1298C variants by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).


RESULTS
The frequencies of MTHFR 677T and 1298C alleles in patients were 29.9% and 43.1%, respectively, that were higher than those in controls (24.8% and 38.1%, respectively). Logistic regression analysis was performed and its result in the odds ratios (ORs) for possession of either MTHFR 677T or 1298C allele was found to be 1.98 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.72-5.4, p = 0.18] and 1.48 (95% CI 0.59-3.69, p = 0.4), respectively. Also the concomitant presence of both MTHFR 677T and 1298C alleles was not associated with the risk of ALL [OR = 2.12 (95% CI 0.8-5.7, p = 0.13)].


CONCLUSIONS
Our results in a homogenous population with Kurdish ethnic background indicated that neither the MTHFR 677T allele nor the MTHFR 1298C allele is associated with increased risk of ALL.
Medical Biology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
Mohammad-Reza
MR
Azhar
Zohreh
Z
Rahimi
Asad
A
Vaisi-Raygani
Reza
R
Akramipour
Hamid
H
Madani
Ziba
Z
Rahimi
Abbas
A
Parsian
D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics*
C573423:MTHFR protein, human; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)