Measuring the Genetic Damage in Some Iraqi Breast Cancer Patients During Chemotherapy with Three Genetic End-Points

This study was carried out on twenty four Iraqi women patients with breast cancer patients during chemotherapy treatment at Al-Amel National Hospital for cancer Management in Baghdad during time 1-15 years , non-smokers and non- alcoholic , aged (30 - 69 year),with stage (grade) I - IV, as well as twenty four apparently healthy individuals females collected randomly from population living Baghdad , aged (30 - 69 year) which are non-smokers non- alcoholic as control group. Using three molecular genetic end-points parameters were studied to determine genotoxic effects of some anticancer drug in peripheral blood lymphocytes of some Iraqi breast cancer patients during chemotherapy and compared with control groups. Investigations were carried out by using the micronuclei (MN) frequency in binucleated lymphocytes, nuclear division index (NDI) and Hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT) mutation assay were performed on peripheral blood lymphocytes for breast cancer patients and control groups. The results of the MN frequency in binucleated lymphocytes a significant increase (p< 0.05) in breast cancer patients during chemotherapy as compared with the control group. The increase frequencies of MN in breast cancer patients increased with the cumulative effect of chemotherapy. However, the results of the average of NDI were significant decrease (p > 0.05) in peripheral blood lymphocytes patients with breast cancer after chemotherapy treatment as compared with control group. The decline in the NDI test is based on the fact that this marker that this decline refers to the increased cellular toxicity of chemotherapy. Meanwhile, it was found the results of the average mutation frequency for HPRT (Mf-HPRT) gene showed a significant increase (p<0.05) in the breast cancer patients during chemotherapy as compared with the control groups. In conclude, the results indicated that there is a possibility of using the changes at the level of HPRT gene mutation as useful biomarkers for the detection of the effect of chemotherapy in peripheral blood lymphocytes for cancer patients. In addition, the results of MN, NDI and Mf-HPRT were compared in the ages and grade of the studies groups.

Keywords:

chemotherapy , breast cancer , micronucleus tests , NDI , Hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase