Affiliations: Clinical Oncology Service, Department of Internal
Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas, Campinas,
São Paulo, Brazil | Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of
Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo,
Brazil | Amaral Carvalho Hospital, Jaú, São
Paulo, Brazil
Note: [] Corresponding author: Carmen S. P. Lima, MD, PhD, Clinical
Oncology Service, Department of Internal Medicine, Rua Alexander Fleming 181,
Cidade Universitária "Zeferino Vaz", Distrito de Barão Geraldo,
Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. CEP: 13083-970, Tel./Fax: +55 19 3521 7496;
E-mail: carmenl@fcm.unicamp.br
Abstract: Background: Exposure of ovarian cells to estrogen, which is
detoxified by glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), has been associated with
epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) development. Objectives: We tested in this study whether the GSTM1, GSTT1 and
GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphisms alter the risk of EOC. Materials and methods: Genomic DNA from 132 EOC patients and 132
controls was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment
length polymorphism methods. The differences between groups were analyzed by
χ ^{2} or Fisher's exact test. Results: The frequencies of GSTP1 Ile/Ile (57.6% versus 45.5%,
P=0.03), GSTM1 null plus GSTP1 Ile/Ile (43.5% versus 25.8%; P=0.03) and GSTM1
null plus GSTT1 null plus GSTP1 Ile/Ile (30.3% versus 7.7%; P=0.007) genotypes
were higher in patients than in controls. Individuals with the respective
genotypes had a 1.80 (95% CI: 1.06–3.06), 2.38 (95% CI: 1.08–5.24)
and 11.28 (95%CI: 1.95–65.30)-fold increased risks of EOC than those with
the remaining genotypes. Conclusions: Our data present preliminary evidence that GSTM1, GSTT1
and GSTP1 polymorphisms, particularly in combination, constitute important
inherited EOC determinants in individuals from Southeastern Brazil.
