Association of CYP2C19*3 gene polymorphism with breast cancer in Chinese women

Abstract

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C19 metabolizes arachidonic acid to biologically active epoxyeicosatrienoic acids, which significantly promote proliferation of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. We looked for a possible association between human CYP2C19*3 gene polymorphism and breast cancer in the Chinese Han population. In a Chinese Han case-control study of breast cancer patients (N = 600) and age- and gender-matched healthy controls (N = 600), we investigated polymorphism in the CYP2C19 gene by PCR-RFLP analysis. The CYP2C19*3 AG + AA genotype was significantly more prevalent in breast cancer patients than in control subjects (6.67 vs 3.00%; P = 0.003). The odds ratio for carriers of AG + AA genotype for breast cancer was 2.31 (95% confidence interval = 1.27-4.43). Among patients, estrogen receptor, tumor size, histologic grade, presence of primary lymphonode metastases, progesterone receptor positivity, and age at diagnosis were not found to be significantly associated with CYP2C19*3 genotypes (all P > 0.05). We conclude that the CYP2C19*3 gene polymorphism is associated with breast cancer risk in Chinese Han women.