Association of glutathione S-transferase M1 and T1 polymorphisms and temperament

Mizaj (Temperament) is one of the basic concepts of Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM), which has great importance in diagnosis and treatment of diseases, as well as maintaining the ideal healthy state of an individual. However, very little is known about the biological mechanisms of mizaj dependence treatment in practical ITM. This study was aimed to evaluate any association between the mizaj and glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) and T1 (GSTT1) polymorphisms in healthy people. The samples included 247 healthy males from Fars province, southern Iran. The mizaj was determined using a self-reported mizaj identification scale. Subjects with equilibrium or any of four simple mizajes (warm, cold, moist, and dry) were included in the study. The GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotypes were determined using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method. No any differences in the frequency of GSTM1/T1 polymorphism between equilibrium and each of other mizaj groups were found. However, when equilibrium, moist, and dry groups were pooled and as a "medium warmness" group were compared to the warm group, the frequency of GSTT1-null in the warm group was significantly higher compare to that in the medium warmness group. Also, the combination genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1 was associated with the warmness; that is, individuals with combination of GSTM1 positive and GSTT1 null were more susceptible to have a warm temperament. This study indicated that the mizaj could be affected by GSTM1/T1 genes, although further research with larger samples is needed to reach full conclusions.