Association of MTHFR C677T Variant Genotype with Serum Folate and Vit B12 in Iranian Patients with Colorectal Cancer or Adenomatous Polyps

Abstract

Background: The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) has increased vigorously during the last decades in Iran and clinical studies suggest that moderate deficiency of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and essential folate dietary intake may reduce the risk of CRC.The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of C677T polymorphism within MTHFR gene and its correlation with the serum folate and Vit B12 in Iranian population suffering from CRC.Methods: Blood samples were taken from 207 Iranian individuals (103 males and 104 females) who were referred for colonoscopy. TaqMan probe assay was performed for C677T MTHFR polymorphism. Besides, sera were fractionated from the blood samples of 43 patients and controls and folate and Vit B12 concentrations were measured by a monobind kit. Finally, the correlation of MTHFR polymorphisms and folate/vitamin-B12 with CRC risk were analyzed.Results: In the current study, the most percentage of the MTHFR polymorphisms in healthy individuals belongs to CC genotype (wild type). In patients with adenoma the percentage of CC and CT genotype were approximately similar, but surprisingly in adenocarcinoma the percentage of CC genotype (wild type) was the highest (approximately 50%), and the percentage of CT and TT genotypes were slightly similar. Our study revealed that there was no significant difference between the amount of folate and Vit B12 in case and control groups (p value >0.05).Conclusions: We concluded that there is an association between pivotal concentration of serum folate/vitamin B12 and CRC, and this association is altered by MTHFR C677T genotype.