Association between exposure-relevant polymorphisms in CYP1B1, EPHX1, NQO1, GSTM1, GSTP1 and GSTT1 and risk of colorectal cancer in a Czech population

Associations of functional single nucleotide polymorphisms in cytochrome P450 1B1, epoxide hydrolase 1, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1, glutathione S-transferase Pi-1 and deletions of glutathione S-transferases Mu-1 and θ-1 with colorectal cancer risk were investigated in a hospital-based case-control study on 495 matched pairs of Czech Caucasians. Polymorphisms were assessed by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism-based methods, allele-specific multiplex and allelic discrimination by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Carriers of variant Ser allele in codon 453 of cytochrome P450 1B1 (rs1800440) were at a significantly lower risk of colorectal cancer compared to carriers of the wild-type allele (adjusted odds ratio, aOR=0.68, CI=0.51-0.89, p=0.006). The combination of polymorphisms in codons 453 and 432 (rs1056836) of cytochrome P450 1B1 further increased the protective effect (aOR=0.53, CI=0.34-0.83, p=0.005). The glutathione S-transferase Mu-1 deletion was associated with a moderately elevated colorectal cancer risk (aOR=1.30, CI=1.01-1.68, p=0.044). Combination of glutathione S-transferase Mu-1 and θ-1 deletion was associated with a significantly higher colorectal cancer risk compared to the presence of both full-length genes (aOR=1.58, CI=1.01-2.47, p=0.044). Genetic polymorphisms in glutathione S-transferase Pi-1, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1, epoxide hydrolase 1 and deduced epoxid hydrolase 1 activity did not modify the risk of colorectal cancer. These results provide further evidence that interaction between metabolic gene variants contributes to colorectal carcinogenesis.