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Polymorphisms of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene in breast cancer

  • Preclinical study
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Summary

Nitric oxide (NO) is known to be critically involved in breast carcinogenesis. Genetic polymorphisms of the gene encoding for endothelial nitric oxide synthase (Nos3), the enzyme catalyzing the production of the NO, are known to predispose to malignant disease. Whether these polymorphisms also influence breast cancer risk is unknown. In the present case–control study, we ascertained 2 polymorphisms of the Nos3 gene cluster (Nos3 exon 7 Glu298Asp and a 27-base pair repeat in intron 4 of Nos3) in 269 Caucasian patients with breast cancer and 244 healthy controls using pyrosequencing and PCR, respectively. Presence of the exon 7 Nos3 polymorphism predisposed women to breast cancer (p=0.03, Odds ratio [95% Confidence Intervals]=1.9 [1.1–3.6]), but was not associated with any clinico-pathological parameters. No significant associations were ascertained with respect to the intron 4 Nos3 polymorphism. In our series, presence of the mutant exon7 Nos3 polymorphism was associated with an increased risk for breast cancer in Caucasian women.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Grazyna Dudek, Eva Schuster, and Andrea Wolf for technical assistance.

Financial support: Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology, Vienna, Austria.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Lukas A. Hefler, Christoph Grimm, Clemens Tempfer, Alexander Reinthaller & Robert Zeillinger

  2. Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology, Vienna, Austria

    Lukas A. Hefler & Robert Zeillinger

  3. Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Martin-Luther-University Medical School Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany

    Tilmann Lantzsch & Dieter Lampe

  4. Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany

    Heinz Koelbl & Antje Lebrecht

  5. Core Unit for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Georg Heinze

  6. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna/Austria, Vienna, Austria

    Lukas A. Hefler

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  1. Lukas A. Hefler
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  2. Christoph Grimm
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Correspondence to Lukas A. Hefler.

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Hefler, L.A., Grimm, C., Lantzsch, T. et al. Polymorphisms of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene in breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 98, 151–155 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-005-9143-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-005-9143-2

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