Short Communication

CMF-Treatment-induced Changes of Gene Expression in Peripheral Leukocytes of Breast Cancer Patients

Zsolt Faluhelyi1, Árpád Németh2, Imre Ródler3, András Csejtey4, Attila Kvarda5, and László Bujdosó6

1 Department of Oncology, Baranya County Hospital, Pécs, Hungary
2 Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, Hungary
3 József Fodor National Center of Public Health, National Institute of Food Hygiene and Nutrition, Budapest, Hungary
4 Markusovszky Hospital, Szombathely, Hungary
5 Zala County Public Health and Medical Officer Service, Zalaegerszeg, Hungary
6 Veszprém County Public Health and Medical Officer Service, Veszprém, Hungary

Corresponding author: Zsolt Faluhelyi
    Department of Oncology,
    Baranya Country Hospital,
    Rákóczi út 2.
    H-7634 Pécs, Hungary
    Telephone: (36) 72 533 133
    Fax number: (36) 72 211 668
    E-mail: faluhelyi@axelero.hu

CEJOEM 2004, Vol.10. No.2.: 184–188

Key words:
Breast cancer, c-myc, Ha-ras, p53, gene expression, marker, carcinogenesis, blood, peripheral, leukocytes, CMF

Abbreviations:
CMF
COPP
CHOP
1-NP
DMBA
ETO		 = cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluouracil
= cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbaside, and prednisolone
= cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone
= 1-nitropyrene
= dimethylbenz(α)anthracene
= ethylene oxide

Abstract:
Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer mortality in women of developed countries. There are several cytostatic protocols with known carcinogenic effect. CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluouracil) is a frequently used type of these protocols. We aimed to investigate its effect on c-myc, ras and p53 gene expression that had signalled carcinogen exposure and early carcinogenesis in response to other cytostatic protocols, such as COPP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbaside and prednisolone) in animal models and CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone) in humans. The expression of c-myc and p53 genes significantly differed (p<0,001) in the peripheral leukocytes of the CMF-treated control subjects: a 32 times and 450 times higher expression of c-myc and p53, respectively, was observed, while the expression of Ha-ras gene showed no significant difference. The comparison of the pattern of protoncogen expression obtained in the present study with those previously reported for cytostatic protocols of animal experiments suggests that the the way of action of CMF therapy is different from that of the latter.

Received: 18 November 2003
Accepted: 22 January 2004
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