Head and neck carconogenesis: impact of MTHFD1 G1958A polymorphism.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the MTHFD1 G1958A polymorphism involved in the folate metabolism as a risk for head and neck cancer, and to find the association of the polymorphism with the risk factors and clinical and histopathological characteristics. METHODS Retrospective study investigating MTHFD1 G1958A polymorphism in 694 subjects (240 patients in the Case Group and 454 in the Control Group) by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) Analysis. Multiple logistic regression and chi-square tests were used in the statistical analysis. RESULTS Multivariable analysis showed that smoking and age over 42 years were disease predictors (p < 0.05). MTHFD1 1958GA or AA genotypes were associated with smoking (p = 0.04) and alcoholism (p = 0.03) and were more often found in more advanced stage tumors (p = 0.04) and in patients with a shorter survival (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION The presence of MTHFD1 G1948A polymorphism associated with smoking and alcoholism raises the head and neck cancer risk.