N-acetyltransferase 2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and risk of gastric carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether an association exists between the NAT2 genotype and the risk of developing gastric cancer.METHODS. Ninety-nine patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and 258 healthy subjects were analysed for single-nucleotide polymorphisms at the NAT2 gene locus, which give rise to gene variants known to be associated with slow-acetylation status.RESULTS: The functional NAT2*4 (wild-type) allele is over-represented among patients (40.4% of all allelic variants) compared with control subjects [25.8%, odds ratio (OR) 1.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.36, 2.8]. According to the NAT2 genotype, 69 patients (69.9%) and 119 healthy subjects (46%) were classified as rapid acetylators (OR 2.69, 95% CI 1.6, 4.54).CONCLUSIONS: Our results, which need independent confirmation, suggest that individuals with NAT2 genotypes leading to high levels of NAT2 enzyme activity are at increased risk of developing gastric carcinoma.