The glutathione S-transferases: polymerase chain reaction studies on the frequency of the GSTM1 0 genotype in patients with pituitary adenomas.

The frequency of the GSTM1 0 polymorphism at the glutathione S-transferase M1 locus has been determined in controls and patients with pituitary adenomas by using the polymerase chain reaction to amplify genomic DNA in the exon 4-5 region of the gene. The frequency of the genotype in patients with prolactinomas, non-functional adenomas, corticotrophinomas and somatotrophinomas varied between 52-67% compared with 44% in the controls. In the patients with prolactinomas the frequency of the genotype (67%) was significantly greater than in controls with odds ratio analysis indicating that GSTM1 0 individuals have a 2.56-fold greater risk of developing this adenoma.