Does Val/Val genotype of GSTP1 enzyme affects susceptibility to colorectal cancer in Saudi Arabia?.

OBJECTIVES: Glutathione S-transferase pi (GSTP1) is a candidate enzyme that may be involved in colorectal cancer susceptibility. Polymorphism of GSTP1 gene may cause changes in expression or structure which lead to alteration in the efficiency of catalytic function of the enzyme variants, i.e., deficient detoxification of carcinogens and consequently influences coloreActal cancer development. The present report examined the possible impact of GSTP1 (Ilel05Val) polymorphism and the risk of colorectal cancer.

METHODS: Samples of paraffin embedded tissues from 83 patients with colorectal cancer as well as thirty five non-cancerous colon tissues were collected from the archive of the pathology department at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia. All cancer and control samples were subjects to DNA extraction then amplification. DNA genetic analyzer from Applied Biosystems was used to sequence the product of amplification for genotypes determination.

RESULTS: None of the genotypes of GSTP1 was associated with the risk of colorectal cancer development. There were no statistical differences in the frequencies of GSTP1 genotypes between colorectal cancer cases and controls.

CONCLUSION: The incidence of (Val/Val) genotype in colorectal cancer cases was three folds higher than controls. This finding is not statistically significant, but it could be of clinical consequence that it may increase the risk of colorectal cancer in Saudi Arabia.