EVALUATION OF GENETICALLY-DETERMINED SPARTEINE OXIDATION AND SULFADIMIDINE ACETYLATION POLYMORPHISM IN WOMEN WITH BREAST-CANCER

The relationship between genetically determined polymorphic oxidation and acetylation and susceptibility to neoplastic diseases has aroused much interest. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether women with breast cancer differ from healthy women in their ability to oxidize s parteine and acetylate sulfadimidine as model drugs. The results of ou r study revealed a predominance of the percentage of extensive metabol izers (EMs) of sparteine (97.8%) among 90 women with breast cancer in comparison to the percentage of EM (93.2%) in 74 healthy women. Among very extensive metabolizers of sparteine (VEM), with metabolic ratio ( MR) <1.0, the difference in the MR frequency distribution between wome n with breast cancer (57.8%) and healthy women (39.2%) was statistical ly significant. The phenotyping of the acetylation showed the prevalen ce of rapid acetylators in 90 women with breast cancer (62%) in compar ison to 31 healthy women (52%). Our results provide some evidence for a possible relationship between the EM, especially VEM, oxidation phen otype, rapid acetylator phenotype and susceptibility to breast cancer.