ASSOCIATION BETWEEN GLUTATHIONE S-TRANSFERASE GENOTYPES, HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS INFECTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF CERVICAL INJURY IN OLINDA -PE

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for developing cancers, among them cervical cancer, which is the second cancer responsible for female mortality. The polymorphism of glutathione S-transferase (GST) is closely linked to an increased risk of cervical lesions and HPV infection. This enzyme is involved in phase II of xenobiotic metabolism, which can eliminate potential toxic carcinogenic compounds from the body. In this study, it was analysed the association between GSTM1 and/or GSTT1 polymorphism and susceptibility to HPV infection or development of cervical lesions. It was also analysed the correlation of these polymorphisms with external factors such as number of sexual partners, parity, smoking and alcohol consumption. Women who had more than one sexual partner presented 2.35 times more chances of being infected by HPV, but it could not be associated to the development of cervical lesions. However, more than three pregnancies leads to high risk (OR=3.2) of developing cervical lesions. Considering the genotypes analyzed in this study, only GSTT1 null showed significant influence on the risk of HPV infection among consumers of alcohol (OR=6.6)  and none of them showed influence on the risk of developing cervical lesions (P <0.05). The study of other polymorphisms and expression of GST isoforms and enzymes that act in phase I of xenobiotics metabolism, for example, could lead to further clarification of the effect of oxidative stress on cellular susceptibility to HPV infection, since the results this research point to this interaction. DOI:  http://dx.doi.org/10.17525/vrrjournal.v18i1-2.66