Significant Association of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Polymorphisms With Triple Negative Breast Cancer Risk

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Oncology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) plays a role in breast cancer (BCa) development and progression.
• Previous studies on MMP-9 genetic variants and BCa susceptibility have yielded inconclusive results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between MMP-9 rs3918242 promoter polymorphisms and breast cancer risk.
• To specifically evaluate the risk of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) in relation to MMP-9 rs3918242.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 1,232 breast cancer patients and 1,232 healthy controls.
• Genotyping of the MMP-9 rs3918242 polymorphism was performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).

Main Results:

• No significant association was found between MMP-9 rs3918242 genotype frequencies and overall breast cancer risk.
• The homozygous variant genotype (TT) of MMP-9 rs3918242 showed a statistically significant association with an increased risk of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) (OR=2.49, p=0.0072).

Conclusions:

• The MMP-9 rs3918242 TT genotype may serve as a potential predictive biomarker for TNBC.
• This finding is particularly relevant for the Taiwanese population.