[The study of GST mu gene deletion as the hereditary marker for susceptibility to lung cancer].

A total of 175 lung cancer patients and 104 controls were detected for GST mu gene using PCR technique. The results showed that the GST mu gene deletion rate in lung cancer patients was 71.4%, which was significantly higher than the controls, 51.9%. Analysis according to pathological classification of lung cancer indicated that the GST mu gene deletion rate in all three kinds of pathological types-squamous, adenocarcinoma and small cell carcinoma, were markedly higher than that of controls, especially for small cell carcinoma (the deletion sate is 77.5%). The frequency of GST mu gene was not associated with smoking in both groups, but the higher deficiency rate was found in the low age group of lung cancer patients, showed 85.3% compared to the high age group, 68.1%. All the results showed that GST mu gene deletion may be an important host hereditary marker for susceptibility to lung cancer.