Cyclooxygenase-2 169C> G and 8473T> C gene polymorphisms and prostaglandin E2 level in breast cancer: A case-control study

Aims: Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) with the resulting prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is linked to increased risk of human breast cancer (BC). The aim of this study was to determine COX-2 169C>G and 8473T>C gene polymorphisms and PGE2 level at various stages of BC clarifying the role of COX-2 gene polymorphism and PGE2 in relation to BC Methods: The study population comprised 160 women at different stages of BC and 150 gender- and age-matched healthy control subjects. Plasma PGE2 was measured by ELISA, the COX-2 gene polymorphisms were determined using PCR-RFLP. Results: The variant alleles COX-2 169G and 8473C were significantly associated with BC susceptibility [OR = 3.1, 95% Cl (2.2-4.4), P < 0.001 for 169C>G and OR = 1.74, 95%CI (1.3-2.4), P = 0.005 for 8473C]. However, both COX-2 gene polymorphisms were not associated with breast cancer stage. Plasma PGE2 levels were significantly increased in patients compared to the controls. In early and late stages of BC, there was a significant increase in the plasma PGE2 levels towards the presence of homozygous GG compared with homozygous CC (P < 0.001) for 169 C>G, also towards the presence of CC than TT (P < 0.001) for 8473T>C SNP. Conclusion: The 169C>G and 8473T>C polymorphisms of the COX-2 gene were associated with the BC in Egyptian women. Furthermore, individuals with COX-2 169GG and 8473CC genotypes showed significant increase in plasma PGE2 levels. PGE2 levels may serve as a predictor of poor prognosis in patients with BC (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.