ABSTRACT
N-acetyl transferases [NAT] play important roles in the bio-activation and detoxification of a number of aromatic and heterocyclic amines This suggests that polymorphism of genes encoding such enzymes may represent potential risk factors for cancer. The present study was undertaken to investigate the association between N-acetyl transferases polymorphism and incidence of different types of cancer, and to examine whether NAT 2 genotypes are risk factors for bladder cancer. 200 bladder cancer patients and 220 controls were undertaken over a period of 24 months. The NAT 2 genotypes were identified by PCR-RFLP method in peripheral blood DNA samples .Genotype frequencies among patients and controls were assessed by Chi-square and Fisher exact tests. The frequency of slow or fast acetylator genotypes was not significant in bladder cancer patients alone [OR=0.804, 95% CI: 0.344-1.877, p value=0.613] or in combination with tobacco users [OR=1.2. 95% CI: 0.291-4.949, p value=0.801] or with bilharzial involvement [OR=0.451, 95% Cl: 0.194-1.053, p value=0.061]. Results indicate that NAT2 genotype exhibits non-significant association with the risk of developing bladder cancer, either alone or with tobacco users or clinicopathological parameters of the disease [with exception of lymph node involvement]