Tuberc Respir Dis.  2003 May;54(5):485-494. 10.4046/trd.2003.54.5.485.

The GSTT1 Genotype as A Marker for Susceptibility to Lung Cancer in Korean Female Never-Smokers

• Jang SS
• Jung CY
• Lee SY
• Lee JH
• Jeon HS
• Park SH
• Son JW
• Lee EB
• Kim CH
• Kam S
• Park RW
• Kim IS
• Jung TH
• Park JY

• KMID: 2158841
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2003.54.5.485

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Most previous studies regarding the role of GSTMl and GSTT1 on lung cancer risk have been focused mainly on male smokers. However, epidemiological characteristics, histologic types and risk factors are different in female and male lung cancers, we investigated the association between these genotypes and lung cancer risk in males and females separately.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study population consisted of 253 lung cancer (153 males and 100 females) and 243 controls (140 males and 103 females). GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotypes were determined by a multiplex PCR.
RESULTS
In the male population, neither GSTM1 nor GSTT1 null genotype showed significant difference between cases and controls. In the female population, the frequencies of GSTM1 null genotype showed no significant difference between cases and controls. However, the frequencies of GSTT1 null genotype was significantly higher in cases (70.3%) than controls (55.3%, odds ratio (OR)=2.18; 95% confidence interval (CI=l.21-3.93). When the female population was stratified by age and smoking status, the ORs for GSTT1 null genotype were significantly higher in subgroups of ≤60 years (OR=4.82; 95% CI=l.61-14.4) and never-smokers (OR=4.29; 95% CI=1.94-9.48) but not in subgroups of >60 years or smokers. When stratifying the female never-smokers by age, the ORs for GSTT1 null genotype were significantly higher in both age groups of ≤60 years (OR=7.64; 95% CI=2.00-29.2) and >60 years (OR=2.89; 95% CI=1.05-7.94).
CONCLUSION
We found that GSTT1 null genotype was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer in Korean female never-smokers. This result suggests that GSTT1 null genotype could be used as a biomarker for genetic susceptibility to lung cancer in Korean female never-smokers.

Keyword

Glutathione S-Transferase(GST); Genetic Susceptibility; Lung Cancer

MeSH Terms

Female*
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
Genotype*
Humans
Lung Neoplasms*
Lung*
Male
Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction
Odds Ratio
Risk Factors
Smoke
Smoking
Smoke