Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and cancer in a Sardinian male population: a case-control study

Abstract

A case-control study was conducted to test the hypothesis whether the genetic condition of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is associated with a reduced risk of cancer. One hundred and eighty seven male cancer patients admitted to hospitals in Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy), between November 1984 and March 1986, were compared with 186 male patients with other diseases, except hemolytic anemia, admitted to the same hospitals in the same period. In contrast to previous reports, our study found no reduction of cancer risk in G6PD-deficient subjects. The study had sufficient statistical power to detect a 0.5-fold decrease in the risk of cancer. The recent suggestion from other studies that tumoral cells of G6PD-deficient subjects can produce their own G6PD, seems to be consistent with this negative finding. Among those subjects presenting some level of erythrocyte G6PD activity, the average enzyme activity was significantly higher in cancer patients than in controls. This finding is consistent with previous experimental studies suggesting a positive correlation between cell proliferation and G6PD activity.

Brick by brick: metabolism and tumor cell growth

“…First, several studies have shown that G6PD deficiency, an X-linked condition affecting hundreds of millions of men, does not reduce cancer risk despite a 90% reduction of enzyme activity in many individuals [21,22]. Second, transketolase activity is highly correlated with the rate of tumor growth, and expression of the transketolase isoform TKTL1 in colon, urothelial and ovarian cancers correlates with invasiveness and poor patient outcome [23,24••,25••].…”

Oxidative Stress: Cause and Consequence of Diseases

“…Data regarding association of G6PDH deficiency with cancer are controversial, because some studies demonstrated that G6PDH-deficient patients may additionally suffer from cancer (Pavel et al, 2003), while others state opposite (Cocco et al, 1989(Cocco et al, , 2007. Nevertheless, both situations are possible.…”

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and risk of colorectal cancer in Northern Sardinia

“…[ 19 ] Further, large epidemiological studies conducted in Sardinia between 1980s and 1990s supported an inverse relationship between G6PD deficiency and lower cancer mortality in men. [ 20 , 21 ] However, additional investigations yielded inconclusive results. [ 22 – 24 ] After more than half a century of research, the hypothesis of a negative correlation between G6PD deficiency and cancer susceptibility is still insufficiently supported by empirical evidence.…”