Research article

Investigation of glutathione S-transferase zeta and the development of sporadic breast cancer

Robert A Smith¹, Joanne E Curran¹, Stephen R Weinstein² and Lyn R Griffiths^1*

• * Corresponding author: Lyn R Griffiths L.Griffiths@mailbox.gu.edu.au

Author Affiliations

¹ Genomics Research Centre, Griffith University Gold Coast, Southport, Queensland, Australia

² Department of Pathology, Gold Coast Hospital, Southport, Queensland, Australia

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Breast Cancer Res 2001, 3:409-411 doi:10.1186/bcr332

Published: 10 October 2001

Abstract

Background

Certain genes from the glutathione S-transferase superfamily have been associated with several cancer types. It was the objective of this study to determine whether alleles of the glutathione S-transferase zeta 1 (GSTZ1) gene are associated with the development of sporadic breast cancer.

Methods

DNA samples obtained from a Caucasian population affected by breast cancer and a control population, matched for age and ethnicity, were genotyped for a polymorphism of the GSTZ1 gene. After PCR, alleles were identified by restriction enzyme digestion and results analysed by chi-square and CLUMP analysis.

Results

Chi-squared analysis gave a χ² value of 4.77 (three degrees of freedom) with P = 0.19, and CLUMP analysis gave a T1 value of 9.02 with P = 0.45 for genotype frequencies and a T1 value of 4.77 with P = 0.19 for allele frequencies.

Conclusion

Statistical analysis indicates that there is no association of the GSTZ1 variant and hence the gene does not appear to play a significant role in the development of sporadic breast cancer.