Increased Risk of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Adult Patients with GSTM1 Null Genetic Polymorphism.

PURPOSE

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTT1 and GSTM1) detoxify various endogenous and exogenous compounds and provide cytoprotective role against reactive species. This study aimed to assess the frequency of , and polymorphisms in newly diagnosed Sudanese adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and to evaluate the association of these polymorphisms with age, gender and type of ALL.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This case-control study included 128 adult Sudanese, untreated newly diagnosed patients with ALL, aged 18 to 74 years and 128 age-gender matched healthy controls. Deletional polymorphisms of and genes were genotyped through a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay using β-globin gene as an internal positive control.

RESULTS

The genotypic frequency of null polymorphism was 22.7% in cases and 14.8% in controls (OR = 1.68, P = 0.111). Statistically significant differences were noted in the frequencies of null polymorphism in cases and controls (OR = 3.7, P = <0.001). Combined null and null gene polymorphisms showed statistically significant difference in patients with ALL as compared to controls (OR = 6.5, CI 95% = 1.42-29.74, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Irrespective of age at diagnosis, gender, and phenotype of ALL, GSTM1 null polymorphism either alone or in combination with GSTT1 null polymorphism poses significantly increased risk of developing ALL in adults.