Evaluation of XRCC2 gene`s methylation pattern in Breast Cancer
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women, with its development influenced by genetic factors such as mutations in the XRCC2 gene, a key player in DNA repair via homologous recombination. This study aimed to analyze XRCC2 methylation rate in promotor region in BC tissues as epigenetic factor and compared to normal breast tissues to elucidate its potential role in BC pathogenesis. An observational analytical study with a case-control design was conducted at Zheen International Hospital, Erbil, Iraq, from 2021 to 2024. The study included 44 adult women diagnosed with BC. The X-ray repair cross-complementing group 2 (XRCC2) gene encodes a member of the RecA/Rad51-related protein family that participates in homologous recombination to maintain chromosome stability and repair DNA damage. This gene is involved in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks by homologous recombination and it functionally complements Chinese hamster irs1, a repair-deficient mutant that exhibits hypersensitivity to several different DNA-damaging agents. In this study methylation status was determined using methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme digestion PCR. The XRCC2 promoter region underwent DNA methylation analysis via Methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme digestion PCR (MSRE-PCR). This involved digesting genomic DNA with a specific enzyme sensitive to methylation, followed by PCR amplification using gene-specific primers. The current study found a 7% methylation rate for the XRCC2 gene in tumor tissue, with no indication of methylation in the XRCC2 promoter region, suggesting limited regulation by methylation. further analysis is mandatory to better understand and confirm our preliminary findings.
Keywords
References
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