Low Incidence of the DPD IVS14+1G>A Polymorphism in Jordanian Breast and Colorectal Cancer patients

BACKGROUND: Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) is a crucial enzyme in the catabolism of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a drug that is frequently used in cancer therapy. Patients with deficient DPD activity are at risk of developing severe 5-FU–associated toxicity. One possible cause of deficiency is genetic polymorphisms in the DPD gene, such as IVS14+1G>A. AIM: The present study was conducted to screen for the IVS14+1G>A polymorphism in cancer patients receiving 5-FU and a control group. METHODS: A total of 40 cancer patients (30 colorectal cancer (CRC) and 10 breast cancer patients) were enrolled in this study. One hundred healthy controls were also tested using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). DNA sequence analysis was carried out to confirm the presence of the IVSI14+1G>A polymorphism. RESULTS: Only one CRC patient showed heterozygous IVS14+1G>A polymorphism in the DPD gene. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrated a very low frequency of the IVS14+1G>A polymorphism among Jordanian patients with colorectal and breast cancer.