A case–control study investigating the role of sulfotransferase 1A1 polymorphism in head and neck cancer.

Purpose: Sulfotransferases (SULT) 1A1 detoxifie and bioactivate a broad spectrum of substrates including xenobiotics. The SULT1A1 gene possesses a G→A polymorphism that results in an Arg to His substitution at codon 213, with the His allele having a low activity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether SULT1A1 Arg213 His polymorphisms are risk factors for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCCHN). Methods: A total of 124 consecutive primary SCCHN patients and 249 age- and sex-matched hospital controls were enrolled in this study. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood lymphocytes and genotyping was performed by PCR-RFLP. A comprehensive epidemiological interview was conducted on all participants to collect their lifestyle data. Results: The His/His frequencies in cases and controls were 6.5% (8/123) and 3.6% (9/247), respectively ( P=0.049). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a significant association of SCCHN and His/His genotype (OR=3.60; 95% CI=1.01–12.88). This association was stronger amongst older people, alcohol and low fruit consumers. The resulted SULT1A1 His/His genotype also associated with a higher risk of neck node positive status (OR=5.82; 95% CI=1.10–30.68). Conclusions: These preliminary findings show for the first time that the SULT1A1 His 213 allele is a possible risk factor for head and neck cancer development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]