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. 1990 Mar 1;50(5):1585-90.

Human glutathione S-transferase deficiency as a marker of susceptibility to epoxide-induced cytogenetic damage

J K Wiencke  1 , K T Kelsey, R A Lamela, W A Toscano Jr
Affiliations
  • PMID: 2302718

Human glutathione S-transferase deficiency as a marker of susceptibility to epoxide-induced cytogenetic damage

J K Wiencke et al. Cancer Res. .

Abstract

The identification of genetic traits that predispose individuals to environmentally induced cancers is one of the most important problems in cancer risk assessment. Genetic deficiency in the mu-isozyme of the glutathione (GSH) S-transferases (EC 2.5.1.18) has recently been associated with increased lung cancer risk. To test whether this association could arise from a metabolically mediated sensitivity to mutagenic substrates, cytogenetic damage in lymphocytes from 21 isozyme-deficient and 24 nondeficient individuals was induced. Cells were treated with trans-stilbene oxide, an excellent substrate for GSH S-transferase mu, or cis-stilbene oxide, a poor substrate for the isozyme. Sister chromatid exchange induction was measured as an indicator of cytogenetic damage. A trimodal distribution of trans-stilbene oxide-induced sister chromatid exchanges was observed in the population, including resistant, moderate, and highly sensitive groups. Glutathione S-transferase mu deficiency was associated with both moderate and high sensitivity to trans-stilbene oxide-induced damage but had no effect on cis-stilbene oxide-induced sister chromatid exchange. The results indicate that GSH S-transferase mu, a proposed marker of cancer susceptibility, is also a marker of susceptibility to the induction of cytogenetic damage by a certain class of mutagens. The differential effects of the cis- and trans-isomers of stilbene oxide illustrate that the stereoselectivity of GSH S-transferase mu toward various alkene epoxide substrates can be an important factor affecting individual sensitivity to DNA-damaging epoxides.

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