No evidence for glutathione S-transferases GSTA2, GSTM2, GSTO1, GSTO2, and GSTZ1 in breast cancer risk.

Breast cancer is a complex disease and in recent years a number of breast cancer susceptibility genes have been identified, but the role of low penetrance susceptibility genes has not been completely resolved. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are phase II xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes involved in the detoxification of chemical carcinogens and environmental pollutants and play an important role in cell defense mechanisms against oxidative stress. They have been in the spot light for the investigation of a potential association with breast cancer risk but so far, sparse or even no data for a potential contribution of GSTA2, GSTM2, GSTO, and GSTZ to breast cancer risk are available.

Balkan endemic nephropathy and genetic variants of glutathione S-transferases.

Background: Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) is a non-inflammatory, chronic, slow progressing kidney disease, frequently associated with urinary tract tumors. BEN displays familial clustering without an apparent Mendelian inheritance pattern. It has been suggested that environmental toxicants damage urothelial cells in genetically susceptible individuals, which could be the cause of BEN.