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Review |
Division of Toxicology and Cancer Risk Factors, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| Abstract |
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The overall effects of common CYP polymorphisms were found to be moderate in terms of penetrance and relative risk, with odds ratios ranging from 2 to 10. Some CYP1A1/GSTM1 0/0 genotype combinations seem to predispose the lung, esophagus, and oral cavity of smokers to an even higher risk for cancer or DNA damage, requiring, however, confirmation. Future strategies in molecular cancer epidemiology for identifying such susceptible individuals are discussed with emphasis on well-designed larger studies.
| Introduction |
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Drug-metabolizing enzymes, which often display genetic polymorphism, convert many tobacco carcinogens into DNA-binding metabolites in target cells and can thereby modulate intermediate effect markers such as DNA adducts and ultimately, the risk for cancer. The development of simple assays based on the PCR has allowed identification of individual genotypes for a variety of metabolic polymorphisms and studies on the modulation of cancer risk by environmental exposures, such as tobacco smoke, which are the subject of this review. Given the great number of carcinogen-activating and -detoxifying enzymes, the variation in their expression, and the complexity of exposures to tobacco carcinogens, assessment of a single polymorphic enzyme or genotype may not be sufficient to assess their role in carcinogenesis (reviewed in Ref. 4 ). Tobacco smoking is the major cause of lung cancer and is associated with risks for cancers of the larynx, mouth, esophagus, urinary bladder, and kidney (5) . Breast cancer in women is at best weakly associated with cigarette smoking. We have included this site because recent studies suggested that postmenopausal women who are carriers of the CYP1A1 or NAT2 variant alleles may be at increased risk for breast cancer in a smoking-dose-related manner (6 , 7) .
Because major classes of tobacco carcinogens are converted to DNA-reactive metabolites by the oxidative, mainly CYP4 -related enzymes, we have summarized studies of the effect of genetic polymorphism of CYPs in humans, alone or in combination with phase II enzymes, as risk modifiers of some major tobacco-related cancers. Our analysis includes case-control studies published from 1990 to May 1999 on cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract, urinary tract, and breast. To be included, a study had to have been published in a full article in English, cited in MedLine, and have involved a case-control design and adequate methods for analysis of CYP genotype. When several overlapping reports on one study population were available, we included the most recent publication, which usually covered a larger number of study subjects. To obtain insights into mechanisms, we also briefly reviewed studies of gene-gene interactions and the dependence of the formation of smoking-related PAH-DNA adducts on genotype. Because of space limitations, the references cited are not exhaustive, and the reader is referred to review articles marked in the text.
| Tobacco Carcinogenesis, Major Causative Agents, Role of Metabolism, and DNA Adducts |
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PAHs
The mechanism by which PAHs such as B[a]P interact
with DNA, activate oncogenes, and initiate the carcinogenic process
involves the formation of bay-region diolepoxides as the major ultimate
carcinogens. B[a]P is converted into phenolic metabolites
and B[a]P-7,8-diol by a CYP-mediated process. Secondary
metabolism, mainly involving epoxide hydrolase and other CYP isoforms,
leads to the formation of the highly reactive (+)-anti-BPDE.
Several carcinogens present in tobacco smoke are inactivated by GSTs.
The most frequently studied carcinogenic PAH diolepoxide, BPDE, is a
relatively good substrate for GSTM1, M2, and
M3 and better still for GSTP1 (12)
.
Sensitive detection methods have been used to demonstrate the presence of smoking-related bulky (PAH)-DNA adducts in virtually all target organs of tobacco carcinogenesis. The amounts of (+)-anti-BPDE bound to DNA can be quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection by measuring the release of B[a]P-tetrols both from lung tissue and lymphocyte DNA (13) . Subsequently, the complex interrelationship between PAH-DNA adduct levels, daily or total smoking dose, genotype, and cancer risk was studied (reviewed in Ref. 14 ).
TSNAs
This topic has been reviewed by McClellan (10)
and
Hecht (9
, 15) . NNK and NNN are the most important TSNAs.
They originate mostly from unburned tobacco and are also
pyrosynthesized during smoking. The exposure of smokers to TSNAs is
much higher than that to other environmental nitrosamines. The evidence
that TSNAs are causative in tobacco-induced cancers of the upper
aerodigestive tract in humans is highly suggestive: NNK is a powerful
lung carcinogen in all species tested; human exposure is comparable
with the dose that causes tumors in laboratory animals; and the
metabolic activation pathways of NNK are similar in humans and
laboratory animals. NNK and NNN require metabolic activation to bind to
DNA and express their carcinogenic effects. The metabolism of NNK
includes
-methylhydroxylation,
-methylenehydroxylation,
pyridine-N-oxidation by CYP-mediated reactions, and
reduction to 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol and its
conjugation as glucuronide (reviewed in Refs. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
).
The last compound can be detected in human urine and is a good
indicator of exposure to NNK. N- and O-methylated
DNA bases have been detected in many exposed tissues. In addition,
pyridyl-oxobutylation of DNA and globin occurs after exposure to NNK or
NNN. The keto alcohol released from globin or DNA after hydrolysis
allows sensitive human dosimetry of these TSNAs in tobacco users.
NNK-derived DNA adducts in humans have been characterized only
partially (15)
.
Aromatic Amines
4-Aminobiphenyl and other aromatic amines are the components of
smoke that appear to be primarily responsible for urinary bladder
cancer in smokers. The key reactions by which the compounds are
metabolized and produce DNA adducts in the bladder epithelium involve
N-hydroxylation (CYP1A2) and N-acetylation (NAT1
and NAT2). The resulting hydroxylamine also reacts with hemoglobin to
form 4-aminobiphenyl-hemoglobin adducts in smokers or may be further
activated by O-acetylation to
N-acetoxyarylamines, reactions that are also catalyzed by
NAT1 and NAT2. Molecular dosimetry in smokers of black (air-cured) and
blond (flue-cured) tobacco provided further evidence that aromatic
amines induce bladder cancer in smokers. Smokers of black tobacco, who
have a risk for bladder cancer that is two to three times that of
smokers of blond tobacco, have 2-fold higher 4-aminobiphenyl-hemoglobin
adduct levels and excrete twice as much mutagens in their urine
(reviewed in Ref. 16
). The 4-aminobiphenyl-DNA guanine
adduct was detected as a major smoking-related adduct in biopsy samples
from bladder cancer patients and in exfoliated urothelial cells of
volunteers. The levels of adducts of 4-aminobiphenyl with hemoglobin
and with DNA in the bladder were correlated, and both were related to
recent cigarette smoking. The metabolic phenotypes of rapid or slow
N-acetylator and rapid or slow N-oxidizer,
CYP1A2, significantly affected the levels of
4-aminobiphenyl-hemoglobin and 4-aminobiphenyl-DNA adducts in the
urothelium of smokers. Studies in aromatic amine-exposed workers and in
smokers have shown previously that the slow acetylator phenotype (slow
NAT2) is at higher risk for developing bladder cancer than those with
the fast phenotype (reviewed in Ref. 17
).
Oxidative and Lipid Peroxidation-induced DNA Damage
Like preformed carcinogens, tobacco smoke contains ROS and
reactive nitrogen species that impose oxidative stress on smokers
tissue. As a consequence, oxidative DNA-base damage has been detected
in respiratory tract tissue of smokers, with lipid peroxidation
products such as malondialdehyde, crotonaldehyde, and
trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, the last of which can be further
epoxidized by CYP-mediated reactions. These reactive aldehydes have
been shown to form promutagenic exocyclic DNA adducts in human tissues
(18
, 19)
and thus could contribute to carcinogenesis in
the upper aerodigestive tract (20)
. Chewing of tobacco
alone or with betel quid is causally associated with oral cancer;
because chewing of betel quid generates large amounts of ROS in the
mouth, TSNAs and ROS are the major genotoxic agents implicated in oral
cancer related to chewing (reviewed in Ref. 21
).
Because tobacco carcinogens, ROS, and lipid peroxidation products are likely to be substrates for GSTT1 or M1, the extent of DNA damage and ultimately the cancer risk may be affected by polymorphic CYPs and GST detoxifying enzymes (reviewed in Refs. 17 and 22 ).
Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Exposure to Low Doses of
Carcinogens
Epidemiological studies have incriminated environmental tobacco
smoke as a risk factor for lung cancer in nonsmokers. The
concentrations of carcinogenic agents in such smoke appear to be low
overall in comparison with those in undiluted mainstream smoke.
Involuntary inhalation of tobacco smoke can occur over several
hours/day. When comparing the ratio of concentration in sidestream and
in mainstream smoke, relatively large amounts of carcinogenic, volatile
nitrosamines and aromatic amines are released into sidestream smoke, as
reflected by the concentrations of cotinine, a crude marker for uptake
of tobacco carcinogens, in body fluids of passive smokers, which are
about two orders of magnitude lower than those in active cigarette
smokers (8)
. However, some data suggest that people with
certain "at risk" genotypes are particularly susceptible to low
doses of carcinogens (Ref. 2
; reviewed in Ref.
3
). This important health issue should be resolved by
properly designed studies that would show whether passive smokers who
have developed lung cancer are particularly susceptible.
| Polymorphic Human CYP Genes Associated with Metabolism of Tobacco Carcinogens: Modulation of Cancer Risk |
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(a) Nucleotide variations in the coding region of the gene result in amino acid substitution and alter enzyme activity or substrate binding (e.g., CYP2D6).
(b) Deletions in (of) the coding region lead to an inactive enzyme or lack of protein synthesis (e.g., CYP2A6, CYP2D6, and GSTM1).
(c) Polymorphisms in the noncoding region affect transcriptional control elements involved in basal enzyme expression and induction (e.g., CYP1A1).
(d) Variations in the polyadenylation signal of a gene affect transcript half-life and thus the quantity of enzyme (e.g., NAT1).
(e) Gene amplification increases the quantity of enzyme (e.g., CYP2D6).
(f) Complex interactions of polymorphic genes and/or their enzyme catalysis products (e.g., GSTM1-deficient subjects or cells have greater induction of CYP1A1 and 1A2, probably because of greater bioavailability of inducer compounds).
Allelic CYP Variants and Effect on Cancer Risk in
Tobacco Users
The role of particular human CYP450 in the metabolism of
carcinogens has been reviewed (23, 24, 25)
. In the following,
we evaluate case-control studies on the effect of polymorphic CYPs on
the tobacco smoke-associated risk of cancers of the lung, larynx,
mouth, esophagus, kidneys, urinary tract, and female breast. The past
and recent systematic nomenclature for CYP1A1 polymorphisms
is given in Table 1
. For the purpose of clarity, we have referred to CYP1A1
mutations by the system of Cascorbi et al.
(26)
.5
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The induction of CYP1A1 is initiated by the specific binding of aromatic inducer compounds to the Ah receptor. An Ah receptor nuclear translocator (Arnt) gene is further involved in the CYP1A1 induction pathway. Thus far, no relationship has been found between Ah receptor polymorphism and lung cancer risk (28 , 29) .
Beginning in 1973 with the pioneering work by Kellerman et al. (30) on B[a]P hydroxylase inducibility and bronchogenic carcinoma, studies on the association of the genetic polymorphism of CYP1A1 and cancer started after cosegregation of the CYP1A1 high inducibility phenotype and polymorphism of the MspI restriction site (31) .
The CYP1A1 Ile-Val (m2) mutation in the heme-binding region results in a 2-fold increase in microsomal enzyme activity and is in complete linkage disequilibrium in Caucasians with the CYP1A1 MspI (m1) mutation, which has also been associated experimentally with increased catalytic activity (32) . Although the Ile-Val mutation in the CYP1A1 allele did not increase activity in vitro (33 , 34) , it might be linked to other functional polymorphisms, for example in the regulatory region important for CYP1A1 inducibility. Smokers with the exon 7 Ile-Val mutation were found to have more PAH-DNA adducts in their WBCs than smokers without the variant (35) . The amount of these adducts is also elevated in cord blood and placenta of newborns with the CYP1A1-MspI polymorphism (36) . In lung parenchymal tissue of smokers, the concentrations of BPDE and bulky (PAH)-DNA adducts were positively correlated with CYP1A1 enzyme activity (13) . Significant ethnic differences in the frequency of homozygous CYP1A1 MspI alleles have been observed, and both the MspI and Val alleles are rarer in Caucasian than in Japanese populations (26) .
A proposal has been made for a mechanism whereby the CYP1A1 genotype and GSTM1 0/0 gene-gene interactions result in a greater-than-additive risk for DNA damage and cancer; in human cells, deletion of GSTM1 is associated with strong inducibility of CYP1A1 gene transcription by 2,4,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (37) . When BPDE-DNA adduct levels were measured in lung tissue of smokers, a significant interaction between deficiency of the GSTM1 phenotype and high CYP1A1 inducibility or CYP1A1 allelic variants was observed (38 , 39) , leading to very high adduct levels in Caucasians with CYP1A1/MspI/MspI-GSTM1 0/0 [see "CYP1A1-GSTM1 Genotype Dependence of Bulky (PAH)-DNA Adduct Levels and of Other Effect Markers in Smokers"]. These data suggest that this "at risk" genotype combination predisposes to an increased risk for tobacco-associated DNA damage and lung cancer.
Lung Cancer.
The relationship between CYP1A1 variants and lung cancer
risk in various ethnic populations has been examined in more than 20
studies. Early Japanese studies pointed to an increased risk for lung
cancer in association with both the m1 (Table 2
,
study nos. 1 and 10) and m2 mutations (Table 2
, study 4); the
CYP1A1 genotype was particularly important at a low level of
smoking and in the development of squamous cell carcinoma (Table 2
,
study 3). These findings were not confirmed in studies conducted in
Norway (Table 2
, study 2), Finland (Table 2
, study 5), the United
States (Table 2
, study 6), and Sweden (Table 2
, study 8), perhaps
because of the much lower prevalence of the m1 allele
in Caucasians. Larger studies in mixed American populations (Table 2
,
study nos. 16, 17, 18, and 20) do point to an increased risk for lung
cancer among carriers of m1 alleles, whereas in Caucasian
smokers in France, no significant association was observed for either
m1 or m2 (Table 2
, study 19). In two Brazilian
populations, the presence of the m2 allele was significantly
associated with an increased risk for lung cancer (Table 2
, study 12).
The African-American-specific m3 (*3) mutation was not
associated with an increased risk for lung cancer overall in three
studies (Table 2
, study nos. 9, 13, and 21); however, in one of them, a
significantly increased risk for adenocarcinoma was seen for carriers
of the m3 mutation (Table 2
, study 21), and the OR for lung
cancer was 8.4 for the genotype m1/m1,m2 (*2A/*2B). In
Chinese, the m1 and m2 mutations were not
correlated with either allele or lung cancer risk (Table 2
, study 24),
whereas results from the Republic of Korea surprisingly showed a
significantly decreased risk for lung cancer among carriers of the
m2 allele (Table 2
, study 25). A recently described
m4 mutation in close proximity to m1 has thus far
been investigated in only one study of Caucasians, in which it did not
correlate with an increased risk for lung cancer (Table 2
, study 14).
It is possible that individuals carrying the m4 mutation
were misclassified as carriers of the m2 mutation in earlier
studies, in which allele-specific primers were used. The combined
CYP1A1 variants (either m2 or m1) and
GSTM1 0/0 genotype have been associated with a significantly
increased risk for lung cancer (Table 2
, study nos. 4, 7, and 11),
especially squamous cell carcinoma (Table 2
, study nos. 4 and 20) in
Japanese populations.
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CYP1A2.
This isoform activates many dietary and tobacco procarcinogens, notably
aromatic and heterocyclic amines, and also metabolizes nicotine. Human
CYP1A2 has 72% sequence identity with CYP1A1
and, in contrast to extrahepatic CYP1A1, CYP1A2 appears to be expressed
mainly in the liver and only weakly in the peripheral lung
(44)
. Like CYP1A1, CYP1A2 is regulated in part by the
Ah-receptor system and is induced in humans by a variety of chemicals.
The activity of this enzyme can be determined in a noninvasive assay
involving measurement of caffeine 3-demethylation.
Recently, a genetic polymorphism in the 5' flanking region of the human
CYP1A2 was identified that affects inducibility
(45)
. Another single nucleotide polymorphism was found in
intron 1, which is associated with high catalytic activity when
subjects are exposed to tobacco smoke (46
, 47)
.
Individuals who are homozygous for the high inducibility genotype were
shown to account for
45% of healthy Caucasians. A subgroup of
smokers had a 1.6-fold increase in the caffeine demethylation ratio
(ratio of paraxanthine:caffeine in serum) over that in nonsmokers.
Gene-gene interactions between GSTM1 0/0 and CYP1A2 and CYP1A1 enzyme induction have been observed in smokers; GSTM1 deficiency not only led to increased hepatic CYP1A2 activity in current smokers but also to significantly increased levels of bulky PAH-DNA adducts in lung parenchyma of smokers and ex-smokers, over that in individuals with wild-type GSTM1 (4 , 38 , 39 , 48) . CYP1A2 activity was higher in GSTM1 0/0 subjects after exposure to cigarette smoke and heterocyclic amines from cooked meat. Exposed individuals with CYP1A1 Ile-Val alleles had greater CYP1A2 activity than those with wild-type CYP1A1 (49) . GSTM1 0/0 led to higher levels of 4-aminobiphenyl-hemoglobin adducts in smokers (50) . Such gene-gene interactions are probably attributable to a greater bioavailability of aromatic inducer compounds in GSTM1 0/0 subjects, leading to a higher rate of induction of CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 in smokers, which in turn increases macromolecular carcinogen binding.
Urinary Tract Cancer.
In one preliminary case-control study (Table 5
, study 3), patients with
the intron 1 variant had an OR of 1.7 for bladder cancer if they were
smokers; if they also had the slow NAT2 phenotype, the OR was
2.2.
CYP1B1
CYP1B1, 1A2, and 3A4 all catalyze 2- and 4-hydroxylation of
17ß-estradiol, but 4-hydroxylation is selectively catalyzed by
CYP1B1. This enzyme activates many PAH-dihydrodiols, aromatic amines,
and other groups of procarcinogens. CYP1B1 is also induced by
Ah-receptor ligands. This enzyme is expressed in human kidney,
prostate, ovary, and breast, and three CYP1B1 polymorphisms have been
identified in exon 3, two of which are associated with amino acid
substitutions, i.e., Val432Leu and
Asn453Ser in the heme-binding domain of the
enzyme (51)
.
Breast Cancer.
In the only study conducted thus far, no association was found with the
CYP1B1 genotype. Caucasian patients with the codon 432
Val-Val genotype were more likely to have breast tumors
containing estrogen and progesterone receptors (Table 6
, study 7).
CYP2A6.
In humans, CYP2A6 mediates 7-hydroxylation of coumarin, a component of
cigarette smoke, and activates several nitrosamines in tobacco smoke,
including NNK (15
, 52)
. The catalytic selectivity of
CYP2A6 appears to overlap with that of CYP2E1. The location of CYP2A6
and 2E1 in extrahepatic tissues such as lung, nasal and pharyngeal
areas is of interest. Two CYP2A6 variant alleles have been
identified (*2 and *3). The prevalence of the
Leu160His variant allele in Caucasians is
2%,
and it is associated with lower coumarin 7-hydroxylation activity. A
new allele has been described in which exons 59 are deleted
(53)
. Individuals lacking functional CYP2A6
have impaired nicotine metabolism and may thus be protected against
tobacco dependence. In one study using a disputed genotyping method,
carriers of the variant allele were reported to smoke fewer cigarettes
(54)
. These findings were not confirmed in another study
(55)
. The discrepancy could be resolved by newly available
genotyping methods (56
, 57)
.
Lung Cancer.
The only case-control study published thus far (Table 7
,
study 1) showed no associations with CYP2A6*2.
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Associations have been found between nicotine depen-dence and PM (61) and between UM and smoking addiction (62) . These findings may make establishing causality between this polymorphism and cancer risk more complex.
Lung Cancer.
Nine genotyping studies have been conducted, including several with
large samples and with control for confounding factors. In three
studies (Table 7
, study nos. 3, 4, and 6), a significant association
was found between lung cancer and EM genotype, and in one study an
association with UM genotype and lung cancer risk was found for
African-Americans (Table 7
, study 8). Legrand Andreoletti et
al. (Ref. 63
; Table 7
, study 9) screened over 40
alleles in cases and controls. They found no significant association
for lung cancer overall, but the *1A/*2-EM genotype combination was
significantly associated with lung cancer. Two meta-analysis showed no
association or one of borderline significance between the EM genotype
and increased risk (64
, 65)
.
Head and Neck Cancer.
One of three studies of Caucasians showed a significantly higher
frequency of the PM genotype among cases (Table 3
, study 9).
Urinary Tract Cancer.
One of four studies showed an association only with the HEM (Table 7
,
study 4). The HEM genotype in smokers was associated with more
aggressive bladder tumors (66)
.
Breast Cancer.
One American study (Table 6
, study 8) of alleles *3, *4 and *5 showed
no association with the CYP2D6 genotype, whereas a slightly
larger study in Spain (Table 6
, study 9) of alleles *3, *4 and *9
showed a significant association with HEM.
Analyses of all results on CYP2D6 genotype and lung cancer risk found no or a borderline protective effect of the PM genotype. For other cancer sites, the association with disease susceptibility was inconclusive.
CYP2E1.
The ethanol-inducible CYP2E1 metabolizes many known
procarcinogens, including NNN, NNK, and other volatile nitrosamines
found in tobacco smoke. Chlorzoxazone 6-hydroxylation is catalyzed by
CYP2E1. Wide interindividual variation in the expression of the
CYP2E1 gene has been reported in humans, which is possibly
attributable to gene-environment interaction. CYP2E1 is
induced in mice exposed to cigarette smoke by inhalation
(67)
. Its regulation involves complex transcriptional and
posttranscriptional mechanisms. Although in Caucasians no relationship
was found between in vivo activity of this enzyme and
genotype, in Japanese the presence of the variant c2 alleles
resulted in a significant reduction in the oral clearance of
chlorzoxazone, after adjustment for age and sex. The mean activity in
individuals with the c2/c2 genotype was significantly lower
than that in individuals with either the homozygous wild-type or the
heterozygote genotype. Body weight and dietary factors were the major
modulators of interindividual variation (68)
.
The human CYP2E1 gene is functionally well conserved, but several polymorphic alleles occurring at low frequency have now been identified. The RFLPs, revealed by either RsaI G1259C or PstI C1091T, are located in the 5' flanking transcription region of this gene and appear to be in complete linkage disequilibrium with each other (c1, common allele; c2, rare allele). Although the primary sequence of the enzyme is not altered, increased gene transcription has been suggested (69) . A T-7668A substitution in intron 6 of the CYP2E1 gene is revealed by a DraI RFLP (C, minor allele; D, common allele). The RsaI and the DraI polymorphisms appear to be linked, i.e., individuals with the RsaI polymorphism also had a mutant DraI allele, although the reverse is not true. A TaqI RFLP at position 9930 (intron 7) of the CYP2E1 gene has been reported, but no phenotype has been associated with this mutation.
Lung Cancer.
The wild-type DraI genotype was associated with an increased
risk for lung cancer in 35 of 16 studies in Japanese,
Mexican-Americans, and mixed populations (Table 7
, study nos. 11, 13,
16, 24, and 25). More conflicting results have been published
concerning the RsaI/PstI mutation. The rare
PstI/RsaI c2 allele has been
associated with decreased risk for cancer in two studies of 11 (Table 7
, study nos. 23 and 25), and in one study the c2 allele
frequency was significantly lower among cases than controls (Table 7
,
study 15); however, in an additional study, the c2/c2
genotype correlated positively with p53 mutations and with
squamous cell carcinoma (Table 7
, study 21). Additionally, in one small
study the c2/c2 genotype was associated with adenocarcinoma
(Table 7
, study 22).
Head and Neck Cancer.
Five studies showed no association between head and neck cancer and
CYP2E1 variants; however, Chinese patients who were not
betel quid chewers had a higher prevalence of the c2 allele
(PstI/RsaI; Table 3
, study 11).
Esophageal Cancer.
The c2 allele was overrepresented among Chinese esophageal
cancer patients (Table 4
, study 9).
Urinary Tract Cancer.
Three studies found no association with bladder cancer. One study in
Caucasian women revealed a higher risk for renal carcinomas among those
with DraI variants (OR, 8.0; Table 5
, study 10).
Breast Cancer.
The only study of the DraI polymorphism in Caucasians (Table 6
, study 10) found a significant association among premenopausal
smokers only (OR, 11.1).
Because the frequencies of variant alleles are very low in Caucasians and African-Americans, the statistical power of the studies is low. Altogether, conflicting results have been reported on the importance of CYP2E1 genotypes in well-documented tobacco-related cancers.
CYP2C9.
The levels of all smoking-related DNA adducts in the larynx were
correlated with the presence of P4502C protein, suggesting a role of
CYP2C9 in DNA adduction of PAH-type tobacco carcinogens
(70)
. Two mutant alleles, CYP2C9*2
(Arg144Cys) and *3
(Ile359Leu), have been described, and CYP2C9 has
a specific substrate, tolbutamide. The level of bulky DNA adducts in
normal bronchial tissue of smokers was found to be higher in
individuals with the homozygous CYP2C9*3/*3 genotype
(71)
.
Lung Cancer.
One of two large (Table 7
, study 27), well-designed studies in
African-Americans and Caucasians (Table 7
, study nos. 27 and 28)
revealed an association of the *2 allele with borderline-increased risk
(OR, 1.6).
CYP2C19.
Members of the human CYP2C gene subfamily are constitutively
expressed, and at least seven human CYP2C genes may exist.
Several defective CYP2C19 alleles are the basis for the
(S)-mephenytoin 4'-hydroxylase polymorphism. In addition to
(S)-mephenytoin, CYP2C19 also metabolizes a variety of
clinically used drugs. The most common variant allele, *2, has an
aberrant splice site in exon 5 (72)
. The premature stop
codon mutant *3 allele has thus far been found only in Asians
(73)
.
Lung and Bladder Cancer.
A very small study on Japanese patients (Table 7
, study 29) revealed a
significant association of the PM genotype with squamous cell carcinoma
of the lung, but the association with bladder cancer seen in Caucasians
was not found (Table 5
, study 11).
CYP3A4.
This isoform is the major P450 expressed in human liver and small
intestine. It can activate numerous procarcinogenic PAH dihydrodiols,
such as BPDE, and also metabolizes NNN (74)
. Whether
genetic or solely environmental factors are responsible for the wide
variation in human 3A4 activity is unknown. Although the three
CYP3A genes, 3A4, 3A5, and
3A7, are expressed at widely different levels, polymorphism
has been found only for CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 to
date. Several allelic variants of the CYP3A4 gene were
reported (75)
, but none was apparently related to
catalytic activity in the liver samples from which the DNA was derived.
No extensive studies on CYP3A4 polymorphism have been
reported.
CYP17.
This gene codes for the cytochrome P450C17
-enzyme, which mediates
both steroid 17
-hydroxylase and 17,20-lyase activities and functions
at key branch points in human steroidogenesis. The 5'-U terminal repeat
of CYP17 contains a 1-bp polymorphism that creates a
recognition site for the MspAI restriction enzyme and has
been used to designate two alleles, A1 and A2.
Premenopausal women with CYP17A2 variants have higher serum
concentrations of estradiol and progesterone (76)
.
Breast Cancer.
Four studies in mainly Caucasian populations (Table 6
, study nos.
1215) and one in a mixed Hawaiian population (Table 6
, study 11)
showed no association with the CYP17 genotype.
CYP19.
This gene encodes aromatase, which is responsible for the rate-limiting
step in the metabolism of C19 steroids to estrogens. Aromatase activity
has been found in a number of tissues, including normal and transformed
breast tissue. A common, high-heterozygosity tetranucleotide simple
tandem repeat polymorphism in intron 4 has been described
(77)
, but it is not known whether this polymorphism is
associated with a specific phenotype.
Breast Cancer.
Two studies of the tandem repeat polymorphism in Caucasian women showed
that an increased proportion of breast cancer patients had the short
alleles; however, the allele frequencies varied greatly between the two
study populations (Table 6
, study nos. 16 and 17).
| CYP1A1-GSTM1 Genotype Dependence of Bulky (PAH)-DNA Adduct Levels and of Other Effect Markers in Smokers |
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In bronchial tissues of smokers with highly induced CYP1A1 enzyme and
GSTM1 0/0, the BPDE-DNA levels were 100-fold higher than in
subjects with active GSTM1 (Table 8
, study 2). Another study
found no effect of the CYP1A1 [MspI
(m1) or Ile-Val (m2) mutations] or
GSTM1 0/0 genotypes on bulky DNA adduct levels, when the
32P-postlabeling method was used (Table 8
, study
3); however, carriers of homozygous CYP1A1 m1 had
higher BPDE-DNA adduct levels than individuals with the wild type
(Table 8
, study 1).
Studies of leukocytes from mostly Caucasians exposed to PAH, including
smokers and nonsmokers, gave contradictory results (Table 8)
. No effect
of m1 and m2 was observed in leukocyte DNA from
lung cancer patients (Table 8
, study 11), but a significant, 2-fold
increase in PAH-DNA adduct level was found when m2 variants
were combined with GSTM1 0/0 or wild type (Table 8
, study
7). Heterozygous m1 or m2 variants were
associated with an increase in the median BPDE adduct level when
compared with the wild type (180)
. One Caucasian subject with the very
rare m1/m1 genotype in combination with GSTM1 0/0
had an extremely high level of BPDE adducts:
44/108 nucleotides (Table 8
, study 5).
Overall, the data are compatible with the assumption that
GSTM1 0/0 is a moderately strong susceptibility factor but
may become a dominant risk factor in the presence of certain gene-gene
combinations. This results in increased DNA damage and mutational
events in target and surrogate tissues (leukocytes). These findings
provide a mechanistic background why such "at risk" genotypes
correlate with increased risks for tobacco-related lung cancer, even at
a low level of cigarette smoking (Ref. 78
, Table 2
). This was seen more clearly in Japanese populations where the "at
risk" alleles occur much more frequently than in Caucasians.
A suggested gender difference in lung cancer susceptibility was supported by a study showing that female smokers had a significantly higher level of aromatic DNA adducts in lung tissue than males at an equal cigarette smoking dose (pack-year; Ref. 79 ).
Lung tumors in Japanese smokers were found to harbor significantly more p53 mutations in people who had the susceptible CYP1A1 genotype. Individuals with the combination of CYP1A1 m2/m2 and GSTM1 0/0 genotypes had an 8-fold greater frequency of p53 mutations than persons with neither genotype (80) . Also, lung cancer patients with this "at risk" genotype combination who had undergone an operation had a remarkably shortened survival (81) . Shorter survival of operated lung cancer patients with high pulmonary CYP1A1 enzyme inducibility was reported previously (82) .
Taken together, because an elevated DNA and mutational damage associated with the "at risk" alleles has been found in both Asian and Caucasian smokers, large-scale studies should prove the prediction that carriers of (homozygous) CYP1A1 variants/GSTM1 0/0 combinations of any ethnicity could be at an increased risk for tobacco-related (lung, head, and neck) cancers.
| Perspective and Future Strategies for Molecular Epidemiology |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Many of the published studies listed in Tables 2
3
4
5
6
7
8
have shortcomings
that should be avoided in future, if possible. Furthermore, there is a
bias against publishing (and citing) the absence of correlations. IARC
(83
, 84)
provided state-of-the-art reviews of the
application of biomarkers and the design and analysis of molecular
epidemiological studies. The prerequisites for proper study design and
conduct include: (a) clear definition of representative
study populations and controls; (b) a sample size adequate
to provide enough statistical power; (c) proper
documentation (or measurement) of exposure; (d) avoidance of
confounding because of use of study subjects of mixed ethnic
background; and (e) study only of gene polymorphisms that
have been shown to lead to altered phenotypic expression.
Rapid advances in high-throughput gene analysis by DNA chip technology
will speed up the identification of new mutations in predisposing
cancer genes. The main task, however, will be to characterize the
functional significance of these gene variants in humans. Such efforts
are under way, e.g., the Environmental Genome Project
pursued by the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences in
the United States (85)
. The aims are to define genetic
variation in a selected number of (
200) genes in the American
population and to relate them to disease risk and individual
susceptibility, particularly in combination with specific chemical and
physical exposures.
Knowledge of the prevalence and distribution of common genetic susceptibility factors and the ability to identify susceptible individuals or subgroups will have substantial preventive implications, in particular if more data are collected to show that people with certain "at risk" genotypes are more susceptible to low levels of exposure (see "Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Exposure to Low Doses of Carcinogens"). It is conceivable that such subjects could be: (a) more easily persuaded to avoid hazardous exposure like tobacco use; (b) targeted for intensive smoking cessation programs; (c) be enrolled in chemoprevention trials; and (c) be involved in cancer screening programs that are not appropriate for the general population. However, before results of individual screening for genetic traits can be used efficiently to implement preventive measures, more cancer-predisposing genes need to be studied and gene-environment and gene-gene interactions elucidated. To this purpose, the need of well-designed, large-scale studies is emphasized.
| Acknowledgments |
|---|
| Footnotes |
|---|
2 All authors contributed equally to this
report. ![]()
3 To whom requests for reprints should be
addressed, at Division of Toxicology and Cancer Risk Factors, Deutsches
Krebsforschungszentrum, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120 Heidelberg,
Germany. Fax: 49-6221-423359; E-mail: h.bartsch{at}dkfz-heidelberg.de ![]()
4 The abbreviations used are: CYP,
cytochrome P-450; PAH, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon; TSNA,
tobacco-specific nitrosamine; B[a]P,
benzo[a]pyrene; BPDE, benzo[a]pyrene
diolepoxide; GST, glutathione
S-transferase; NNK,
4-methylnitrosamino-1,3-pyridyl-1-butanone; NNN,
N'-nitrosonornicotine; NAT,
N-acetyltransferase; ROS, reactive oxygen species; Ah,
aromatic hydrocarbon; OR, odds ratio; PM, poor metabolizer; UM,
ultraploid metabolizer; EM, extensive metabolizer; HEM, heterozygous
EM; RFLP, restriction fragment length polymorphism. ![]()
5 A complete description of CYP
alleles is given at http://www.imm.ki.se./CYPalleles/. ![]()
Received 8/10/99; revised 11/ 2/99; accepted 11/ 2/99.
| References |
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