association of glutathione s-transferase genes (m1 and t1) with the risk of acute myeloid leukemia in a moroccan population

background: acute myeloid leukemia, as most cancers, results from exposure to carcinogens and an impaired inherited individual capacity to eliminate xenobiotics. the present case-control study measures the relationship between glutathione s-transferase (gst) t1 and m1 null genotypes and the risk of acute myeloid leukemia. methods: we identified the gstt1 andgstm1 genotypes by multiplex polymerase chain reaction in 129 acute myeloid leukemia patients and 129 controls. results: individuals that carried gstt1 null had a risk of acute myeloid leukemia when compared to gstt1 present carriers (or: 2.80; 95% ci: 1.63-4.80, p=0.00036). however, gstm1 null did not influence the risk for acute myeloid leukemia (or: 1.20; 95% ci: 0.72-1.97, p=0.53). the combined gstt1 null/gstm1 present genotype showed an association with the risk for acute myeloid leukemia compared to those that carried both functional genotypes (or: 8.85; 95% ci: 3.09-23.8, p=0.0001). the double null genotype also showed an association with the risk for acute myeloid leukemia (or: 2.32, 95% ci: 1.15-4.66, p=0.019). conclusion: both gstt1 null and gst double-null genotypes may be risk factors for acute myeloid leukemia. further studies are needed to confirm these results.