The possible interaction between gene polymorphisms and risk of cancer progression is very interesting. Polymorphisms in multi-drug resistance genes have an important role in response to anti-cancer drugs. The present study was aimed to evaluate the possible effects of ABCB1 C3435T and ABCG2 C421A single nucleotide polymorphisms on clinical and pathological outcomes of Kurdish patients with breast cancer. One hundred breast cancer patients and 200 healthy controls were enrolled in this case-control study. Clinical and pathological findings of all individuals were reported, and immunohistochemistry staining was used to assess the tissue expression of specific breast cancer proteins. The ABCB1 C3435T and ABCG2 C421 genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method (PCR-RFLP). The distribution of different genotypes between patient and control groups was only significant for ABCG2 C421A. A allele of ABCG2 C421A polymorphisms were significantly higher in patients than in controls. Patients with AA genotype of ABCG2 C421A were at higher risk of progressing breast cancer. Patients with A allele of ABCG2 had complete response to chemotherapeutic agents. There was no statistically significant association between ABCB1 C3435T and ABCG2 C421A polymorphisms and tissue expression of ER, PR, Her2/neu, and Ki67. The ABCB1 C3435T has no correlation with clinical findings and treatment with chemotherapy drugs. The A allele of ABCG2 C421A may be a risk factor for progression of breast cancer in Kurdish patients. In addition, breast cancer patients with C allele of this polymorphism have weaker response to treatments with anthracyclines and Paclitaxol.
Keywords: ABCB1; ABCG2; Breast cancer; Single nucleotide polymorphism.