CXCL12/CXCR4 Gene Polymorphism as a Putative Prognostic Factor for Metastasizing Breast Cancer under Chemotherapy

The receptor and the receptor axis CXCL12 / CXCR4 are the two pairs studied in the metastasis of breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the occurrence of CXCR4 / CXCL12 genes polymorphism and the clinical and pathological characteristics of patients with metastatic breast cancer under chemotherapy. Material and methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples of 30 patients with metastatic breast cancer and 30 control samples. Polymorphisms of CXCL12 and CXCR4 using the Tetra ARMS-PCR technique were detected. The results were analyzed using SPSS20 with a 95% confidence level.  Results: The mean age of the patients was 50 and the average age of the healthy subjects was 41.23. 63.33% of the cases were diagnosed with the disease before their menopause and 36.66% were affected by it after their menopause. Also, 73.32 percent of patients showed metastatic signs 3-6 years after primary chemotherapy and 63.33 percent of all patients had grade III tumor. There was a significant relationship between the time of relapse after chemotherapy and the occurrence of polymorphisms (P = 0.001), between age and incidence (P = 0.02), and a significant relationship between menopausal age and incidence (P = 0.07). Conclusion: According to the results, no significant correlation was found between the occurrence of mutant alleles of CXCL12  and CXCR4  polymorphisms and breast cancer. The relapse of the disease after chemotherapy and the age of menopause are associated with the occurrence of polymorphisms. However, further studies are recommended for conclusive conclusion.