Detection of DNA in Malignant Breast Tissues in Breast Cancer Patients.

Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy in women throughout the world. Similar to other cancers, a strong relationship between breast cancer and environmental factors such as infectious agents has been reported. is a protozoan parasite which may play a role in cancer induction. The present study aimed to investigate a possible association between a history of infection and breast cancer by detecting DNA in malignant and non-malignant breast and lymph nodes tissues from breast cancer patients with latent toxoplasmosis. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks from malignant/non-malignant breast and lymph nodes were obtained from twenty-nine breast cancer patients who were positive for anti- antibodies (IgG). FFPE tissue blocks were deparaffinized using hot water method, and DNA was extracted. A conventional PCR analysis was performed to amplify partial regions of B1 and REP-529 genes. Ninety-three samples from 29 patients were examined. All patients were negative for anti- antibodies (IgM). DNA was detected in 3 (10.3%) patients by PCR analysis of either B1 or REP-529 genes. These include two malignant breast and one normal lymph node samples. Sequence analysis of these genes showed a good similarity with previously published B1 and REP-529 sequences of in NCBI GenBank. This study did not find any association between infection and breast cancer. Furthermore, it is the first molecular identification of in FFPE tissue samples obtained from breast cancer patients.