Association between dietary intake, folate serum and erytrocyte folate with polymorphisms in Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR) in patients with colorectal carcinoma

Abstract

Cancer of the colon and rectum is considered the third most common cancer worldwide in both sexes. The etiology of colorectal cancer is multifactorial with emphasis on the genetics, lifestyle, environmental and dietary factors. Folic acid is a vitamin involved in many biochemical reactions, especially in its role for DNA methylation and the synthesis of purines and pyrimidines, thus acting during tumor growth and replication. The food frequency questionnaire is used in most epidemiological studies and allows us to estimate the dietary intake of a particular nutrient. Other methods are used to assess levels of folate, and serum and erythrocyte levels. The enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) plays a key role in the metabolism of folate and, therefore, mutations in the gene for this enzyme has been the subject of many studies. The objective of this study is to analyze the association between dietary intake, serum and red cell folate with the MTHFR gene polymorphism in patients with colorectal carcinoma. The study is a cross-sectional observational with prospective data collection, which will be conducted with patients with invasive adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum, admitted to the Center for Colorectal Cancer Hospital AC Camargo. Will be given the status of folate through food intake, serum and red cell. It will also be assessed the presence or absence of polymorphisms in MTHFR gene. (AU)