Investigation of association between the RHO-kinase gene polymorphism and metastasis in breast cancer

The aim of the study was to evalute the relationship between breast cancer metastasis and ROCK-1 and ROCK-2 gene polymorphism in Turkish population.In this study, we enrolled patients with breast cancer without metastasis at least 5 years (n=92), metastatic breast cancer patients (n=101), and voluntary healthy women, with no disease (n=128). DNA has been isolated from blood samples of patients and control group. And meelting curve analyses has been made with PCR method at LightCycler (Roche, Germany) equipment with primary and probes from NCBI SNP data base (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/SNP/ snp_ref.cgi?locusId=6093).The frequency of Thr-Thr, Thr-Asn, and Asn-Asn genotype of ROCK2 gene?s Thr431Asn polymorphism was compared with control group and there was no statistical significance with non-metastatic group (p>0.05), but there was a statistical significance in the metastatic group (p<0.05). For Thr and Asn allel frequency, there was no statistical significance between control and non-metastatic group (p>0.05), but there was a statistical significance in the metastatic group (p<0.05). When compared with control group, there was a statistical significance in bone, liver, and lung metastasis for genotype and allel frequency of Thr431Asn polymorphism (p<0.05). The frequency of Thr-Thr genotype and Thr allel was significantly high, the frequency of Thr-Asn genotype and Thr allel was significantly lower in the metastatic group (p<0.05). At analyses of Arg83Lys polymorphism of ROCK2 gene, Lys-Lys genotype has not been seen and there was no statistically meaningful difference between groups (p>0.05).This research is the first project that evaluate the role of ROCK-1 and ROCK-2 gene polymorphisms in breast cancer. In the light of these findings, it is possible that the Thr431Asn polymorphism of ROCK-2 gene can be use as a marker for the early predictor of metastasis at breast cancer.Key words: Breast cancer, Rho-kinase, ROCK2, Polymorphism.