[Relationship between genetic polymorphisms of N-acetyltransferase and susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma].

Objective To study the possible relationship between genetic polymorphism of N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) and susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods Genetic polymorphisms of the four NAT2 genes in 78 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and 112 healthy controls were analyzed by means of real-time fluorescence light-Cycler. The difference in frequencies between the hepatocellular carcinoma patients and the controls were compared. Results The significant difference in slow acetylation genotype frequency was found between the controls and the hepatocellular carcinoma patients who were smokers (17.9% vs 37.5%, x2= 4.67, P0.05) resulting in increased by 2.76 times the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma, but no evident difference between the controls and hepatocellular carcinoma patients who were non-smokers. Conclusion The smokers with slow acetylation genotype of N-acetyltransferase 2 may be the population with high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma.