Sulfotransferase 1A1 (SULT1A1) polymorphism and susceptibility to primary brain tumors.

PURPOSE: Sulfotransferase 1A1 is a member of sulfotransferase family that plays an important role in the biotransformation of numerous carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds through sulfation. The present study has investigated the association between SULT1A1 polymorphism and primary brain tumor incidence. METHODS: SULT1A1 genotypes were successfully detected using the PCR-RFLP assay in 60 primary brain tumor patients and 156 hospital-based healthy control individuals with no history of cancer or precancerous disorder. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in genotypes distribution (GG vs. GA + AA) between brain tumor patients (GG genotype frequency = 48.3%) and control population (GG genotype frequency = 65.4%; OR = 2.019, 95% CI = 1.103-3.695; P = 0.022). In order to determine the association between SULT1A1 polymorphism and specific types of brain tumors, the patients were classified according to the type of brain tumors they suffer from: glial and non-glial. Results of the statistical analyses of each group of patients in comparison with the control individuals showed a significant difference only between SULT1A1 polymorphism and non-glial brain tumors (OR = 2.615; 95% CI = 1.192-5.739; P = 0.014) but glial tumors (OR = 1.535; 95% CI = 0.688-3.425; P = 0.293). When non-glial tumors were classified as meningiomal and others (pituitary adenoma, craniopharyngioma, acoustic neuroma and hemangioblastoma), statistical analysis showed that this significance is only due to the meningiomal tumors (OR = 3.238; CI = 1.205-8.704; P = 0.015). We also estimated a reduced risk of brain tumor in non-smokers (OR = 1.700; CI = 0.800-3.615) in comparison to smokers (OR = 2.773; CI = 0.993-7.749), but this was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Our findings have suggested that there was a significant association between brain tumor and SULT1A1*2 allele (A allele that is also known as His allele) and this allele is an important risk factor in the development of meningiomal brain tumors.

Relationship of tobacco smoking with GSTM1 gene polymorphism in laringeal cancer.

This paper aimed to analyze the association of polymorphism of GSTM1 0/0 genotype with laryngeal cancer along a hospital based case-control study. Polymorphisms of GSTM1 0/0 of samples from 36 patients with laryngeal cancer and 35 healthy controls were detected by PCR method. The reaction used as GSTM1 primers, using the sequence sense: 5'-CTGCCCTACTTGGATTGATGGG-3' and antisense: 5'-TGGATTGTAGCAGATCATGC-3'. N Acetyl transferase 1 (NAT1) gene using the primers sense: 5'-TAAAAGTAAAATGATTTGCTTTCG-3' and antisense: 5'- GCTTTCTAGCATAAATCACCAA-3' was used as internal positive control. Two sided 2 and multivariation analysis were used to analyse the results. The proportions of GSTM1 deleted genotype in cases and controls were 47.2% and 54.3%, respectively. There was significant increment of GSTM 0/0 genotype frequency in moderate smokers group of patients compared to control (P=0.033, OR= 4.78, 95% CI = 1.30-7.13). We conclude that GSTM1 deleted genotype may be a genetic susceptibility marker for laryngeal cancer whose exposed to low doses carcinogens. The absence of this enzyme seems to have a role in the development of laryngeal cancer, in which the mechanism still needs further investigation.

Multilocus DNA fingerprinting and RAPD reveal similar genetic relationships between strains of Oreochromis niloticus (Pisces: Cichlidae).

Two molecular techniques which reveal highly variable DNA polymorphisms, RAPD and multilocus DNA fingerprinting, were used to evaluate genetic diversity between six aquacultural strains of Oreochromis niloticus (tilapia) from the Philippines. The results using both techniques were in close agreement. Within-strain heterozygosity values were similar and were correlated between the two data sets, but statistical errors associated with the RAPD data set were lower. Although genetic distances between strains were greater using DNA fingerprinting, the distances measured using both methods were significantly correlated. Both methods were useful in estimating variation between strains, but they offered different advantages. RAPD was technically easier to perform and produced results with low statistical error, whereas DNA fingerprinting detected greater genetic differentiation between strains. The theoretical basis for using RAPD and multilocus minisatellite markers for population studies is discussed.

Application of the RAPD technique in tilapia fish: species and subspecies identification.

Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was applied to three species of the tilapia genus Oreochromis and four subspecies of O. niloticus. Thirteen random 10-mer primers were used to assay polymorphisms within and between populations. Different RAPD fragment patterns were observed for different species, although not always for different subspecies. Evidence is presented that RAPD markers might be useful for systemic investigation at the level of species and subspecies.