OBJECTIVETo determine whether genetic variations in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) are associated with the risk of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) in a Chinese population.

METHODSTwo hundred and seven cases with LSCC and 400 matched health controls were genotyped for the MTHFR 677C > T and 1298A > C polymorphisms by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods. The relation between these genotypes and risk of LSCC and gene-environment interaction were analyzed. The adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by using unconditional Logistic regression model.

RESULTSThe individuals with 677CT and 677TT genotype had a 1.66-fold (95% CI 1.08-2.52) and 3.35-fold (95% CI 2.07-5.54) increased risk of developing LSCC compared with those who had 677CC genotype. The individuals with MTHFR 1298A > C genotype was not significantly different between the two groups. Furthermore, cigarette smoking was also found to interact with MTHFR 677C > T polymorphism in increasing the risk to LCSS further demonstrating the role of gene-environment interaction in development of LSCC.

CONCLUSIONSThese findings suggested that the MTHFR 677C > T polymorphism may contribute to the risk of developing LSCC among Chinese population.