Variants of the ABCG2 gene in Mexican mestizo patients with prostate cancer

ABCG2 transporter protein is one of several markers of prostate cancer stem cells (PCSCs). Gene variants of ABCG2 could affect protein expression, function, or both. The aim of this study was to identify the genetic variability of the ABCG2 gene in Mexican patients with prostate cancer. Genomic DNA (gDNA) was obtained from peripheral blood samples of 32 Mexican patients with prostate cancer. ABCG2 gene was sequenced. The electropherograms were analyzed using mutation surveyor DNA mutation analysis software (Softgenetics). The ABCG2 gene sequence revealed the presence of 22 variants: 19 previously described and three previously undescribed gene variants as part of the ABCG2 gene variability in the Mexican mestizo population (R263K G>A, R378K G>A, and Q531Q G>A). No ABCG2 variant was identified in one patient, but 1 to 12 variants were identified in the remaining 31 patients. The transition G>A was the most frequently found substitution. The largest number of ABCG2 variants was located in exon 9, and at least one of them was present in 28 of the 31 subjects in the Mexican population. The individual genetic variability of ABCG2 should be analyzed, considering its possible usefulness in personalized medicine in patients with prostate cancer.