Abstract
Introduction: Breast cancer (BC) is a prominent and increasing health issue among women in Iraq. While the significance of inflammation in carcinogenesis is well-established, the impact of particular genetic variables, such as polymorphisms in the pro-inflammatory cytokine Interleukin-6 (IL-6), remains little explored in this group. This research sought to examine the relationship between two IL-6 gene polymorphisms, rs1800796 and rs2069840, and the risk of breast cancer in a cohort of Iraqi women.
Methods: A case-control study was performed with 50 female patients diagnosed with breast cancer and 50 healthy female controls. Genotyping for the rs1800796 and rs2069840 polymorphisms was conducted with the Tetra-ARMS PCR methodology. Chi-squared tests were used for statistical analysis to evaluate the relationship between genotypes, alleles, and breast cancer risk.
Results: The rs1800796 polymorphism has been strongly associated with BC risk, with the GC genotype (odds ratio = 2.55), the CC genotype (odds ratio = 3.52), and the C allele (odds ratio = 1.82) all being associated with an increased risk of BC. Similarly, for the rs2069840 polymorphism, the GC genotype (odds ratio = 2.70), the CC genotype (odds ratio = 3.52), and the C allele (odds ratio = 2.26) were strongly associated with an increased risk of BC.
Conclusion: the finding suggest That IL-6 gene polymorphisms rs1800796 and rs2069840 were significant risk factors associated with BC susceptibility in the studied Iraqi female population. These findings underscore the role of genetic inflammatory markers in BC etiology and suggest population-specific genetic risk profiles.