Analysis of the-238(G/A)TNF polymorphism in breast-cancer patients

Tumor-necrosis factor (TNF) is an inflammatory cytokine that is involved in pathogenesis of different malignancies. The single-nucleotide polymorphism -238(G/A)TNF (rs361525) has been investigated for detection of a predisposition to infectious, autoimmune, and oncological diseases. The goal of the study was to investigate the association of -238(G/A)TNF polymorphism (rs361525) with breast cancer (BC) prognosis. TNF allelic variants were detected by restriction fragment length polymorphism polymerase chain reaction (RFLP-PCR). We did not reveal genotype-distribution disparities among groups with various stages of the disease and various levels of expression of estrogen, progesterone, and epidermal growth factor receptors. The AG genotype frequency was about 10%, and there were no BC patients with the AA genotype in all groups. However, the 5-year survival was significantly lower for AG than GG carriers with stage II or ER-positive BC. Our data suggest that -238(G/A)TNF polymorphism is not involved in the initiation of malignancies but is a substantial factor of BC prognosis.