Aromatic and heterocyclic amine metabolism and phenotyping in humans

Our method to evaluate acetylator phenotype and N-oxidation phenotype with a single caffeine dose and a single urine specimen collection has enabled us to examine acetylation and N-oxidation by two enzyme systems that have a known genetic polymorphism and are important in aromatic amine metabolism. Based on available data, we have hypothesized patients with urinary bladder cancer will have a higher frequency of rapid N-oxidation and slow acetylation phenotypes when compared to controls. On the other hand, patients with colorectal cancer should contain a higher proportion of both rapid N-oxidation phenotype and rapid acetylation phenotype when compared to the control group. In contrast, lung cancer patients, should contain an increased frequency of rapid arylamine N-oxidation phenotypes with the frequency of acetyltransferase phenotype being greater or perhaps the same as in the control group.