Genetic variants of calcitonin receptor and breast cancer in Japanese

Calcitonin (CT) inhibits the growth Of human breast cancel cell lines and c alcitonin receptor (CTR) is expressed in breast cancer lines and breast can cer tissue. In this study, the allele frequencies of the CTR gene were comp ared in the peripheral blood and tumour from 46 breast cancer patients with 50 peripheral blood samples from Japanese women. The allele frequencies of CTR gene did not differ between them. There was no significant association of CTR allele frequencies in invasive breast carcinomas. These results ind icate that allelic variation of the CTR gene is not a significant risk fact or for the development of breast carcinoma in Japanese women. Further studi es are needed to clarify the role of CT and CTR in human breast tissue. (C) 1999 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.