Association between 5’-UTR and 3’-UTR Polymorphisms of the TYMS Gene and Breast Cancer in Kurdish Women of Iraq

Breast cancer is a common cancer found among women worldwide. Many polymorphisms can play a role in the development of this disease. The study was conducted to evaluate whether 2R/3R and 6bp insertion/deletion polymorphisms of the TYMS gene are associated with breast cancer risk in the Kurdish Iraqi population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: DNA was extracted from EDTA-treated peripheral blood samples and included 100 patients affected by breast cancer and 100 controls. Genotyping was performed by PCR-electrophoresis. RESULTS: Our results showed a significant association between 6bp deletion homozygote genotype in breast cancer patients compared to healthy individuals (P = 0.042). No significant differences were observed for other allelic and genotypic frequencies. CONCLUSION: This study, performed for the first time on the Kurdish population, highlighted the need for further studies of the TYMS gene polymorphisms.