Association of Glutathione S-transferase Genes (M1 and T1) with the Risk of Acute Myeloid Leukemia in a Moroccan Population

Acute myeloid leukemia, as most cancers, results from exposure to carcinogens and an impaired inherited individual capacity to eliminate xenobiotics. The present case-control study measures the relationship between glutathione S-transferase (GST) T1 and M1 null genotypes and the risk of acute myeloid leukemia.
We identified the GSTT1 andGSTM1 genotypes by multiplex polymerase chain reaction in 129 acute myeloid leukemia patients and 129 controls.
Individuals that carried GSTT1 null had a risk of acute myeloid leukemia when compared to GSTT1 present carriers (OR: 2.80; 95% CI: 1.63-4.80, P=0.00036). However, GSTM1 null did not influence the risk for acute myeloid leukemia (OR: 1.20; 95% CI: 0.72-1.97, P=0.53). The combined GSTT1 null/GSTM1 present genotype showed an association with the risk for acute myeloid leukemia compared to those that carried both functional genotypes (OR: 8.85; 95% CI: 3.09-23.8, P=0.0001). The double null genotype also showed an association with the risk for acute myeloid leukemia (OR: 2.32, 95% CI: 1.15-4.66, P=0.019).
Both GSTT1 null and GST double-null genotypes may be risk factors for acute myeloid leukemia. Further studies are needed to confirm these results.