MTHFR Gene Polymorphisms and Breast Cancer Survival
Author Information
Author(s): Martin Damali N, Boersma Brenda J, Howe Tiffany M, Goodman Julie E, Mechanic Leah E, Chanock Stephen J, Ambs Stefan
Primary Institution: National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Hypothesis
Do MTHFR gene polymorphisms affect breast cancer survival in African-American and Caucasian women?
Conclusion
The MTHFR SNPs C677T and A1298C are associated with breast cancer survival, with variant alleles having opposite effects on disease outcome.
Supporting Evidence
- Carriers of the A1298C variant had reduced survival compared to those with the common A allele.
- The C677T variant was associated with improved survival in ER-negative patients.
- Interactions between MTHFR genotypes and race/ethnicity were observed.
Takeaway
This study found that two specific gene changes can affect how long women survive after being diagnosed with breast cancer, and these effects can be different based on their race.
Methodology
The study involved 248 women with breast cancer, analyzing the relationship between MTHFR SNPs and survival using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods.
Potential Biases
Subgroup analyses increase the possibility of chance findings.
Limitations
The sample size limited in-depth analysis of race/ethnicity effects, and folate status data was not included.
Participant Demographics
Participants included 143 African-American and 105 Caucasian women.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.03
Confidence Interval
95% CI, 1.05–4.00
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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