Association of the 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR C677T and A1298C) polymorphisms in Korean patients with adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Background: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) plays a central role in converting folate to methyl donor for DNA methylation. Because MTHFR is a key enzyme in folate metabolism, changes in its activity resulting from polymorphisms in the MTHFR gene could modify the susceptibility to cancer. Recently, the C677T and A1298C mutations of MTHFR were discovered to be associated with susceptibility in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).