A New Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in XRCC4 Gene is Associated with Breast Cancer Susceptibility in Taiwanese Patients

Abstract

Background: The DNA repair gene XRCC4, an important caretaker of the overall genome stability, is thought to play a major role in the human carcinogenesis. Some new and important polymorphic variants of XRCC4, at codon 247 (rs 3734091), G-1394T (rs 6869366), and Intron 7 (rs 28360317), and their association with breast cancer susceptibility was investigated in a Taiwanese population. Materials and Methods: In a hospital-based case-control study, 432 female patients with breast cancer and 432 age-matched healthy controls recruited from the China Medical Hospital in Central Taiwan were genotyped. Results: A significant difference in the frequency of the XRCC4 G-1394T genotype, but not the XRCC4 codon 247, or intron 7 genotypes was found between the breast cancer and control groups. Individuals with G/T or T/T at the XRCC4 G-1394T locus showed a 2.33-fold (95% confidence interval=1.37-3.98) increased risk of breast cancer compared to those with G/G. For XRCC4 codon 247 or intron 7, there was no difference in distribution between the breast cancer and control groups. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the heterozygous and homozygous T allele of the XRCC4 G-1394T may be associated with the development of breast cancer and may be a useful biomarker for anticancer prevention and intervention.