Polymorphism in genes of the progesterone receptor (PROGINS) in women with breast cancer: a case-control study - Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia

PURPOSE: to analyze the correlation between PROGINS polymorphism and breast cancer. METHODS: a case-control study was carried out from April to October 2004. The genotypes of 50 women with breast cancer and 49 healthy women were analyzed. The 306-base pair Alu insertion polymorphism in the G intron of progesterone receptor gene was detected by polymerase chain reaction and analyzed on 2% agarose gel stained with ethidium bromide. The control and experimental groups were compared regarding genotypes using the statistical Epi-Info 6.0 program and for frequencies the exact Fisher test or chi2 test were used. p value smaller p than 5% was considered to be significant. RESULTS: in relation to PROGINS we found in the studied population a prevalence of 62 (62.6%) wild homozygous, 35 (35.3%) heterozygous individuals and two (2.1%) cases with the presence of the mutation. Regarding PROGINS polymorphism, significance was not evidenced when cases and controls were compared, as related to homozygosis (62 vs 65.3%), heterozygosis (36 vs 34,6%) or the mutation (2.0 vs 2.1%), with p=0.920 (OR=1.01), 0.891 (OR=1.06), and 0.988 (OR=1.10), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: the results show that single-gene PROGINS polymorphism does not confer a substantial risk of breast cancer to its carriers.