Genetic polymorphisms of vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] in Egyptian women with breast cancer

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] was considered to have an association with breast cancer because it regulates endothelial cell proliferation,migration and differentiation

Subjects and methods: One hundred and fifty two women with breast cancer were compared to 100 healthy control Egyptian women recruited from the same locality. VEGF gene polymorphisms were assessed using the PCR-RFLP analysis of DNA samples obtained from peripheral blood.SNP scanning was performed using MnII, BsmfI, CviAII, BsmfI, MnII restriction enzymes for VEGF1154 G/A, 634 G/C, 405 C/G, 936 C/T, 1612 G/A polymorphisms, respectively

Results: Breast cancer among Egyptian women was strongly associated with the mutations related to VEGF gene polymorphism as follows: VEGF 1154 G allele frequency was significantly higher than the A allele [P = 0.0007,O.R =2.4], VEGF 634 C allele frequency was significantly higher than the G allele [P = 0.012, O.R =0.62],VEGF 405 C Allele frequency was significantly higher than G Allele [P = 0.009, O.R =1.67], VEGF 936 C Allele frequency was significantly higher than the T Allele [P = 0.0057, O.R =1.72], VEGF 1612 G Allele frequency was significantly higher than A allele [P = 0.0148, O.R =1.62]. For VEGF 1154 GA: AA vs. GA+GG [Recessive] P = 0.10, O.R = 6.23, C.I [1.0-38.9], GA vs. AA+GG [over dominant] P= 0.01[*], O.R = 2.13, C.I [1.2-3.8], AA+GA vs. GG [dominant] P= 0.0015[*], O.R = 2.57, C.I [1.5-4.5]. For VEGF 634 GC: CC vs. GC+GG [Recessive] P= 0.1852, O.R = 0.64, C.I [0.4-1.2], GC vs. CC+GG [over dominant] P= 0.2669, O.R = 0.71, C.I [0.4-1.2], CC+GC vs. GG [dominant] P = 0.0002[**], O.R=0.05, C.I [0.0-0.2].For VEGF 405 CG: GG vs. CG+CC [Recessive] P= 0.0013[*], O.R = NA,C.I =NA, CG vs. GG+CC [over dominant] P= 0.877, O.R = 1.08, [0.6-1.9], GG+CG vs. CC [dominant] P = 0.0323[*], O.R=1.93,C.I [1.1-3.4].For VEGF 936 CT: TT vs. CT+CC [Recessive] P = 0.1833, O.R = 1.63, C.I [0.9-3.1], CT vs. TT+CC [over dominant] P = 0.1379, O.R = 1.55, C.I [0.9-2.6], TT+CT vs. CC[dominant] P = 0.0075[**], O.R=2.08, C.I [1.2-3.5]. For VEGF 1612 GA: AA vs. GA+GG [Recessive] P = 0.0000[**], O.R = NA, C.I = NA, GA vs. AA+GG [over dominant] P= 0.0002[**], O.R = 0.36, C.I [0.6-0.2], AA+GA vs. GG [dominant] P = 0.9541, O.R = 0.95, C.I [1.6-0.6]

Characterization of angiotensin converting enzyme gene polymorphism and risk of different heart diseases

The present work aims to test the association of angiotensin converting enzyme [ACE] gene insertion/ deletion [I/D] polymorphism in patients with myocardial infarction [MI]. The study comprised 79 Egyptian cases with MI. Their mean age was 54.4 +/- 9.9 years including 60 [75%] males and 19 [24.1%] females, 23 [29.1%] were smokers, 21 [26.6%] had a positive family history of MI, 25 cases [31.6%] were diabetic, 16 cases [20.3%] were hyperlipidemic. For comparison, 238 healthy subjects of nearly matched age and sex, with no history of any cardiac diseases were taken as a control group. For all subjects, DNA testing for ACE gene I/D polymorphism was done using PCR amplification to detect both D and I alleles followed by a second run PCR specific for the I allele for cases typed as DD in the first run. Cases had higher frequency of DD [29.1%] and ID [62%] than II [8.9%] genotype with a higher frequency of D allele than I allele [64.4% vs 33.6%]. Compared to controls, cases had significantly higher frequency of ID genotype [62% versus 47.5%, P < 0.05]. Cases with low risk factors had a higher frequency of ID genotype compared to controls [66.7% vs 47.5%, P = 0.002]. The same was, also, found in the high risk group but with a lower level of significance [63.6% vs 47.5%, P = 0.041]. ACE gene polymorphism is probably a risk factor for ischemic heart disease among Egyptian cases particularly if integrated with other environmental and genetic risk factors