Involvement of MTHFR rs1801133 in the Susceptibility of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Preliminary Study

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a common blood cancer, is characterized by the interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Several variants of the Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), mainly the C677T (rs1801133), may affect susceptibility to ALL. Aim of the Study: The authors conducted this case-control study to evaluate the relationship between this variant of the MTHFR gene and the risk of ALL. Materials and Methods: Forty-one patients with ALL and 35 non-ALL controls recruited in this study were genotyped utilizing polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism methodology. Results: The MTHFR 677CT genotype was significantly more frequently found in patients with ALL having a 2-fold increase in risk (P <0.01). Conclusion: Our results suggest that rs1801133 of MTHFR is a predictive risk marker to ALL in Tunisian ALL.