Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer is responsible for the majority of deaths among all types of cancer. Lifestyle factors may not only be the main risk factor for GI cancer but reactive oxygen species (ROS) may also be involved. The single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) 609C>T (rs1800566) and 465C>T (rs1131341) in the
Nad(p)h: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) gene lead to a decline in NQO1 enzyme activity. NQO1 catalyzes the two-electron reduction of quinones to hydroquinones, thereby preventing the formation of ROS. Such polymorphisms in NQO1 may increase the risk of GI cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the SNPs rs1800566 and rs1131341 in the NQO1 gene on the risk of GI cancer in the Netherlands. Real-time polymerase chain reaction techniques were conducted to determine the NQO1 genotypes of 1457 patients with GI cancer and 1457 age- and gender-matched controls in a case-control study. Binary logistic regression analyses showed no statistically significant difference in genotype distributions between patients and controls: odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for rs1800566 were 1.09 (0.93-1.28) and 1.17 (0.77-1.77) for the CT and TT genotypes, respectively. ORs for rs1131341 CT and TT genotypes were 1.21 (0.90-1.63) and 0.54 (0.05-5.94), respectively. For rs1800566, a significant association between the CT genotype and proximal colon cancer was detected (OR=1.60; 95% CI=1.09-2.35). The NQO1*2 T allele of SNP rs1800566 was found associated with an increased risk for proximal colorectal cancer, whereas SNP rs1131341 was rare in our Dutch population and was not associated with GI cancer.