MHC Genes and Breast Cancer
Abstract
Although human tumors of viral origin are clearly linked to HLA class II genes, few studies have examined whether breast cancer has an immunogenetic basis. MHC class II alleles can be very precisely typed using molecular approaches. Given that point mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes may contribute novel epitopes, and given the possibility that many tumors arise in areas of chronic inflammation, linkage of cancer to the MHC class II locus is clearly worth examining. We have typed all MHC class II alleles in 183 patients (all Caucasians under the age of 40) with breast cancer and 233 ethnically matched controls using a total of 133 different Single Stranded Oligonucleotide probes. While our analyses our ongoing, we have noted an extremely strong association (with a p value of <0.0001) of a specific DQB1 allele with breast cancer. This allele was detected in 1 out of 86 controls but was inherited by 74 out of 183 patients with breast cancer. We would like to stress the preliminary nature of this finding.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADB258158
Entities
People
- Shiv Pillai
Organizations
- Massachusetts General Hospital