MTHFR C677T Polymorphism and Risk of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in Mexican Population

The C677T polymorphism of the MTHFR gene has been frequently associated with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) around the world. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine whether the MTHFR C677T polymorphism is associated with ALL in Mexican children and adults. A case-control study was conducted on 243 patients with ALL (136 children and 107 adults) and 379 healthy controls. Genotyping of the C677T polymorphism was performed by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The frequency of the T allele was forty-three percent, fifty-two percent, and forty-six percent in children, adults, and controls, respectively. No risk of ALL was found for T allele carriers in children [OR=0.81 (0.52-1.25), P=0.33], but an increased risk was detected in adults [OR=4.98 (2.24-11.10), P<0.001]. The findings in children agree with most of the studies but are discordant with those reported in adults. These differences could be due to ethnicity, genetic background, sampling, and methodology.