Polymorphisms in alcohol and tobacco metabolism genes in head and neck cancer in the Basque Country

Background The Basque Country has one of the highest rates of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in Europe, although tobacco and alcohol consumption are not high when compared to other European countries where HNSCC incidence is lower. Our aim was to determine the role of genetic variation with regard to the metabolism of alcohol and carcinogens from tobacco smoke in the Basque Country. Methods Fourteen polymorphisms in alcohol or tobacco metabolism genes were genotyped in 84 HNSCC patients and 242 healthy individuals from the Basque Country. Results ADH1B histidine allele (rs1229984), CYP2E1 rs3813867 heterozygous genotype, and GSTT1 deletion conferred protection against HNSCC (OR: 0.318 [0.04–0.75], OR: 0.13 [0.02–0.94], and OR: 0.12 [0.02–0.60], respectively) while GSTP1 (rs1695) Val/Val genotype was related to an increased risk (OR: 4.12 [1.11–15.31]). Regarding alcohol and tobacco habits, GSTT1 deletion was associated with tobacco usage, while the 3 polymorphisms tested in ALDH2 were associated with alcohol consumption. However, genotypic distributions of these 7 SNPs did not differ from those observed for other Caucasian populations where HNSCC incidence is lower. Conclusions The identified genotypic variations in alcohol and tobacco metabolizing genes only by themselves do not seem to be responsible for the higher incidence of HNSCC observed in the Basque Country.