Purpose: Variation in genetic factors together with xenobiotic exposure may result in increased risk of colorectal cancer. The P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is highly expressed in the apical membrane of enterocytes, where it pumps xenobiotics from the enterocytes back into the intestinal lumen. Thus, polymorphisms that reduce the activity of the MDR1 (ABCB1) efflux pump are potential risk factors for colorectal carcinogenesis. The aim of the present study is to genotype the MDR1 2677G>T (rs2032582) and 3435C>T (rs1045642) polymorphism in patients with colorectal cancer and controls and to identify a possible association between individual genetic variation and susceptibility to colorectal cancer.
Methods: In the present study, 146 Bulgarian patients with sporadic colorectal cancer and 160 healthy Bulgarian volunteers were evaluated for the two polymorphisms in MDR1. Polymorphisms were identified using rapid-cycle real-time amplification with allele-specific probes and subsequent melting curve analyses on a LightCyclertrade mark (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany).
Results: No differences were found between the frequencies of the two mutant alleles in the tumor tissue from the cases and lymphocytes from the controls [frequencies of 2677T: 43.5% in patients and 44.1% in controls; frequencies of 3435T: 48.3% in patients and 50.9% in controls (both P > 0.05)]. The MDR1 polymorphic sequence of the tumor tissue always matched that of normal intestinal tissue from the same patient. Consequently, genotyping of DNA from archived tumor tissues is a valid alternative to the use of leukocyte DNA.
Conclusions: The present study suggests that MDR1 2677G>T and 3435C>T polymorphism is not a risk factor for sporadic colon cancer among Bulgarians and that somatic mutation at these sites is not involved in the genesis of colon tumors. Further examination using larger number of samples must be necessary to reach to more reliable conclusions.