Cytokines are factors that are known to have both tumor-promoting and inhibitory
effects on breast cancer growth depending on their relative concentrations and the
presence of other modulating factors. Genetic polymorphisms of cytokine-encoding
genes are known to predispose to malignant disease. Interleukins -10 and -6 are
crucially involved in breast carcinogenesis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the
role of IL-6 and IL-10 genes polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of breast cancer in
a case – control study of 80 females with breast cancer and 80 healthy females as
controls. Patients and controls underwent a clinical examination and finally, one ml
blood samples were withdrawn from all cases into tubes containing EDTA as an
anticoagulant for analysis of IL-6 and IL-10 genotypes. There were significant
association between C allele of the G−174 C promoter single nucleotide
polymorphism (SNP) in the IL-6 gene and breast cancer (p = 0.02). But, there were
no significant difference in IL-10 1082G→A genotypes frequency in breast cancer
when compared with normal individuals (p = 0.99). It's concluded that the CC
genotype and C allele of the G−174 C in the IL-6 gene were associated with breast
cancer in Egyptian women.