[Acetylation phenotype as a biomarker of sensitivity to the carcinogenic effect of aromatic amines].

The feasibility of genetic screening used for the determination of the acetylation phenotype in workers exposed to carcinogenic aromatic amines seems to be well-grounded. A conclusion like that is supported by numerous epidemiologic observations which show that the slow acetylators are more prone to bladder cancer under the conditions of exposure to aromatic amines than the fast acetylators. The significance of the acetylation phenotype for the processes which start the transformation of the normal bladder epithelium cells into the neoplasm was explained by studying the metabolism of the carcinogenic amines in the cells of mammals, including humans. Further tests are required to explain to what degree the genetic inclination is associated with the occurrence of the slow acetylation phenotype dependent on the tobacco smoking and on other factors, such as diseases, past or present.