Association of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma risk with CYP1A1, GSTM1 and GSTT1 gene variants, in tobacco addicted patients of Pashtun ethnicity of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

Associations of GSTM1, GSTT1 and CYP1A1 gene variants with risk of developing Non-Hodgkin lymphoma were evaluated in this case-control study involving183 NHL cases along with 151 population-based healthy controls of Pashtun ethnicity from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Socio-demographic data were obtained and blood samples were collected with informed consent for analysis. Specific RT-PCR and conventional PCR methods were used to detect CYP1A1and GSTs, respectively, andresults were analyzed through SPSS version 20.Study showed that variant type (C/C) had weak association with NHL compared with wild genotype (T/T) (OR: 1.212); while heterozygous variant (T/C) had a significant association (OR: 2.742). Null genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes were having weak or no association, respectively, with the increased risk of NHL cancer compared with wild type. Association of GSTM1 Null/GSTT1 combination was significant contrary to GSTM1/GSTT1 Null. Both GST null genotypes were having nonsignificant association. Similarly CYP1A1 gene variant showed significant association with NHL. Presence of all three gene variants showed strong and significant association. In conclusion, this study showed that the CYP1A1, GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes play role in the pathogenesis of NHL, especially in the presence of local confounding factor like tobacco use, although individual gene effects are complex and inconsistent.