NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) Pro187Ser Polymorphism and Colorectal Cancer Predisposition in the Ethnic Kashmiri Population

The C609T single nucleotide polymorphism of the NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) gene has been identified as an important risk parameter for the susceptibility to colorectal cancer. We here carried out a case-control study and examined the genotype distribution of NQO1 C609T (Pro189Ser) using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) approach, to investigate the possible role of this SNP as a risk factor in colorectal cancer development in Kasmir, India. We investigated the genotype distribution in 86 CRC cases in comparison with 160 healthy subjects and also focused on clinicopathological variables in the CRC cases. The observed genotype frequencies in cases and controls were significantly different [OR=1.64; 95% CI=0.94-2.86]. We also found a significant association between the Ser/Ser variant form with age group, smoking status, tumor location, nodal status/higher tumor grade and with exposure to pesticides. Therefore, we suggest that the NQO1 C609T SNP is involved either in susceptibility or development of CRC in the ethnic Kashmiri population.