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Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val 108/158 Met polymorphism and breast cancer risk: a case control study in Syria

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Abstract

Background

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inactivates catechol estrogens by methylation and thus may play a protective role against mutations induced by estrogen metabolites. In this study we investigated the relationship between the Vall58Met polymorphism in the COMT gene and breast cancer risk in a population-based case control study in Syria.

Methods

We examined 135 breast cancer patients and 107 healthy controls in North Syria to determine the association between the functional genetic Val158Met polymorphism in the COMT gene and female breast cancer risk.

Results

There was no significant overall association between the COMT genotype and individual susceptibility to breast cancer.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that there may be no overall association between the COMT genotype and breast cancer.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to all women who participated in this study. This work was funded by the University of Aleppo.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, Cancer Research Lab, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Aleppo, University Street, Aleppo, Syria

    Bassam Lajin, Abdul Rezzak Hamzeh, Ala-Eddin Al Moustafa & Amal Alachkar

  2. Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria

    Lina Ghabreau

  3. Oncosurgery, Ibn Rushd Hospital, Aleppo, Syria

    Ali Mohamed

  4. Research Cancer Centre of the Syrian Society Against Cancer, Aleppo, Syria

    Ala-Eddin Al Moustafa

  5. Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Canada

    Ala-Eddin Al Moustafa

Authors
  1. Bassam Lajin
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  2. Abdul Rezzak Hamzeh
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  3. Lina Ghabreau
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  4. Ali Mohamed
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  5. Ala-Eddin Al Moustafa
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  6. Amal Alachkar
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amal Alachkar.

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Cite this article

Lajin, B., Hamzeh, A.R., Ghabreau, L. et al. Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val 108/158 Met polymorphism and breast cancer risk: a case control study in Syria. Breast Cancer 20, 62–66 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-011-0309-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-011-0309-y

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