The role of glutathione-S-transferase polymorphisms in ovarian cancer survival

Resistance to chemotherapy represents one of the most important causes of treatment failure in patients with ovarian cancer. Common polymorphisms in the glutathione-S-transferase (GSTM1, GSTP1 and GSTT1) family have been implicated in chemoresistence and ovarian cancer survival. In this study, we have analysed Australian women diagnosed with primary invasive epithelial ovarian cancer between 1985 and 1997, using DNA extracted from peripheral blood and archival uninvolved (normal) tissues. GSTP1 genotypes were determined using ABI Prism 7700 Sequence Detection System methodology (n = 448) and GSTT1 and GSTM1 genotypes using PCR-agarose methodology (n = 239). We observed a significant survival advantage among carriers of GSTP1 Ile105Val GG/GA genotype (HR 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.61–0.99, p = 0.04) and a non-significant survival advantage among women who were homozygous for the GSTM1 and GSTT1 deletion variants. There was also evidence of an additive effect, with a stronger survival benefit in women carrying three low function GST genotypes (GSTM1 null, GSTT1 null and GSTP1 GA/GG) (HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.22–1.02). The results of this study, the largest to date, are consistent with a number of previous smaller studies which have also observed that reduced GST function was associated with better survival outcomes in patients with ovarian cancer.