Association of TNFRSF1A and IFNLR1 Gene Polymorphisms with the Risk of Developing Breast Cancer and Clinical Pathologic Features

Several genes have been associated with breast cancer (BC) susceptibility. The tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, member 1A (TNFRSF1A), and interferon lambda receptor 1 (IFNLR1) genes encode receptors that mediate the action of inflammatory cytokines. Previous studies have demonstrated the association of the variants rs1800693 (TNFRSF1A) and rs4649203 (IFNLR1) with some inflammatory diseases. The present study aimed to verify a possible association of these variants with BC, its clinical pathologic features, as well as epidemiological data in a Brazilian population. A total of 243 patients and 294 individuals without history of BC were genotyped for these polymorphisms through TaqMan® SNP genotyping assays by qPCR. For the TNFRSF1A gene, no significant results were found. For IFNLR1, the AA genotype (p = 0.008) and the A allele (p = 0.02) were significantly associated with a lower risk of developing BC. When analyzing the age, it was observed that each increase of one year contributes to the development of BC (p < 0.001). Also, the smoking habit (p < 0.001) and body mass index (p = 0.018) increase the risk of disease development. Analyzing progesterone receptor factor an association was found with the AA genotype of the IFNLR1 (p = 0.02). The findings suggest that polymorphism in the immune-related IFNLR1 gene contribute to BC susceptibility in a Brazilian population. These findings can contribute to the further understanding of the role this gene and pathways in BC development.