Polymorphism of CYP1A1*2C, GSTM1*0, and GSTT1*0 in a Mexican Mestizo population: a similitude analysis.

Cytochrome 1A1 (CYP1A1), glutathione transferase M1 (GSTM1), and glutathione transferase T1 (GSTT1) catalyze the bioactivation and detoxification of a wide variety of xenobiotic compounds that are mutagenic and/or carcinogenic (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). Genetic polymorphisms of these metabolizing enzymes have been shown to affect individual susceptibility to environmental carcinogenic compounds. Although several studies have been published on the relationship between CYP1A1*2C, GSTM1*0, or GSTT1*0 polymorphism and cancer, not all findings can be extrapolated to other populations because of interethnic variability. Here, we investigate the frequency of CYP1A1*2C, GSTM1*0, or GSTT1*0 in a sample of Mexican Mestizos. We find that the frequency of GSTM1*0 is 0.335, that of GSTT1*0 is 0.121, and that of GSTM1*0 + GSTT1*0 is 0.023. The frequency of CYP1A1*2C is 0.54. Similitude analysis sets the Latin American populations in a common cluster near the Asian population, suggesting that the CYP1A1*2C polymorphism may have originated from this population and suffered a founder effect in the American population. Analysis of CYP1A1*2C, GSTM1*0, and GSTT1*0 haplotypes reveals that 35% of the population has some combination of risk genotypes. Taken together, these results point to a high susceptibility of the Mexican Mestizo population to the effects of environmental carcinogens.