RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the relationship between genetic polymorphism of NAT2 and susceptibility to bladder cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>NAT2 genotypes were determined by PCR-RFLP method in 69 patients with bladder transitional cell carcinoma and 88 healthy controls.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The frequency of NAT2 slow genotypes was 26.1% (18/69) in patients compared with 14.8% (13/88) in controls (P < 0.05). Bladder cancer risk in patients with NAT2 slow genotypes was 2 fold as high as that in patients with NAT2 rapid genotypes. When NAT2 rapid genotypes/non-smoker were used as reference, bladder cancer risk increased to 5.8-fold (P < 0.05). Among the smokers with PY higher than 10, the patients showed a higher frequency of NAT2 slow genotype than controls (P < 0.05). It was also shown that the patients with slow NAT2 genotypes were more likely to have high grade tumor (P < 0.05) and advanced stage tumor (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results suggest that NAT2 genetic polymorphism is associated with bladder cancer susceptibility. People with NAT2 slow genotype have higher bladder cancer risk.</p>