OBJECTIVETo investigate the association of the NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) C609T polymorphism with susceptibility to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in a northern Chinese population.

METHODSThe NQO1 C609T genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP) analysis in 193 patients with ESCC and 141 unrelated healthy controls.

RESULTSThe frequency of the T allele (null) among ESCC patients was significantly higher than that among healthy controls (Chi-square=4.86, P=0.028). The NQO1 C/C and C/T genotype distribution among ESCC patients was not significantly different from that among healthy controls (Chi-square= 2.27 and 0.127; P=0.132 and 0.721, respectively). However, the T/T genotype frequency among ESCC patients was significantly higher than that among healthy controls (Chi-square=4.39, P=0.036). The NQO1 T/T genotype significantly increased the risk for developing ESCC, compared to the combination of C/C and C/T genotypes, with the adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.81 (95%CI: 1.04-3.15). This increased susceptibility exhibited pronouncedly in patients with family history of upper gastrointestinal cancers (adjusted OR=2.22, 95%CI 1.18-4.17).

CONCLUSIONDetermination of the NQO1 C609T genotype may be used as a stratification marker to predicate high-risk individuals for ESCC.