An osteopontin promoter polymorphism is associated with aggressiveness in breast cancer

Metastasis-related genes are deregulated in cancer by aberrant expression or splicing. Here, we analyzed polymorphic sites in the osteopontin promoter as potential contributors to aberrant expression in breast cancers. This study comprised 241 breast cancer specimens, for which DNA from normal surrounding tissue was available for 111, and 65 healthy breast samples. The polymorphic site in position -443 of the promoter was associated with tumor grade. As expected, there was no association between promoter single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and tumor stage or in situ carcinoma versus cancer, as stage and early transformation are determined by the sampling time more than by tumor genetics. In a subset of samples, osteopontin RNA expression levels had previously been obtained. The allelic distribution in positions -443 and -1748 was distinct between high and low expressors, confirming the importance of promoter SNPs. These two sites also form a haplotype. Osteopontin expression has been associated with breast cancer progression, regardless of the histological subtype of the cancer. Remarkably, the polymorphic site at -443, but not -1748 or -1776, showed differences between ER-positive and ER-negative breast cancers and between PR-positive and PR-negative breast cancers, but there was no association with HER2 status. In five cases, the genotype of the tumor was different from the genotype of the host, implying the possibility of somatic mutations in the osteopontin promoter that may affect expression. Our results corroborate that the osteopontin promoter SNPs -443 (rs11730582) and -1748 (rs2728127) are important for gene expression and breast cancer aggressiveness.