Most previous studies regarding the role of GSTMl and GSTT1 on lung cancer risk have been focused mainly on male smokers. However, epidemiological characteristics, histologic types and risk factors are different in female and male lung cancers, we investigated the association between these genotypes and lung cancer risk in males and females separately.

The study population consisted of 253 lung cancer (153 males and 100 females) and 243 controls (140 males and 103 females). GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotypes were determined by a multiplex PCR.

In the male population, neither GSTM1 nor GSTT1 null genotype showed significant difference between cases and controls. In the female population, the frequencies of GSTM1 null genotype showed no significant difference between cases and controls. However, the frequencies of GSTT1 null genotype was significantly higher in cases (70.3%) than controls (55.3%, odds ratio (OR)=2.18; 95% confidence interval (CI=l.21-3.93). When the female population was stratified by age and smoking status, the ORs for GSTT1 null genotype were significantly higher in subgroups of ≤60 years (OR=4.82; 95% CI=l.61-14.4) and never-smokers (OR=4.29; 95% CI=1.94-9.48) but not in subgroups of >60 years or smokers. When stratifying the female never-smokers by age, the ORs for GSTT1 null genotype were significantly higher in both age groups of ≤60 years (OR=7.64; 95% CI=2.00-29.2) and >60 years (OR=2.89; 95% CI=1.05-7.94).

We found that GSTT1 null genotype was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer in Korean female never-smokers. This result suggests that GSTT1 null genotype could be used as a biomarker for genetic susceptibility to lung cancer in Korean female never-smokers.