The enzyme, called OGG, normally repairs damage to DNA, including that caused by smoking. Researchers found that nonsmokers with low levels of OGG had about the same risk of developing lung cancer as smokers. And smokers with low levels of OGG increased their risk of getting lung cancer tenfold compared to other smokers, and 120 times compared to nonsmokers with normal OGG levels.

The study also found that 40 percent of people with cancer had low levels of the enzyme, compared to 4 percent of a comparison group that was cancer-free.

Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science said the findings could help explain why only about 10 percent of heavy smokers get lung cancer. Moreover, the research could lead to development of a simple blood test to identify smokers at high risk of cancer.

The study was published in the Sept. 3, 2003 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Paz-Elizur, T., Krupsky, M., Blumenstein, S., Elinger, D., Schechtman, E., & Livneh, Z. (2003) DNA Repair Activity for Oxidative Damage and Risk of Lung Cancer. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 95(17): 1312-1319.

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