Genetic Insights into Breast Cancer in Northeastern Mexico: Unveiling Gene–Environment Interactions and Their Links to Obesity and Metabolic Diseases
by
, , , , ,
Hugo Leonid Gallardo-Blanco
1
,
María de Lourdes Garza-Rodríguez
1
,
Diana Cristina Pérez-Ibave
1, 
Carlos Horacio Burciaga-Flores
1, 
Víctor Michael Salinas-Torres
2,3,
Moisés González-Escamilla
1,
Rafael Piñeiro-Retif
1,
Ricardo M. Cerda-Flores
4,
Oscar Vidal-Gutiérrez
1 and
Celia N. Sanchez-Dominguez
5,*
1
Servicio de Oncología, Centro Universitario Contra el Cáncer (CUCC), Hospital Universitario “Dr. José Eleuterio González”, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey 66451, NL, Mexico
2
Departamento de Medicina Genómica, Hospital General Culiacán “Dr. Bernardo J. Gastélum”, Servicios de Salud del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social para el Bienestar, Culiacán 80064, SIN, Mexico
3
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán 80019, SIN, Mexico
4
Facultad de Enfermería, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey 64460, NL, Mexico
5
Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey 64460, NL, Mexico
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Cancers 2025, 17(6), 982; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17060982
Submission received: 21 January 2025
/
Revised: 2 March 2025
/
Accepted: 5 March 2025
/
Published: 14 March 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancements in “Cancer Biomarkers” for 2025–2026)
Simple Summary
Breast cancer is a common disease, and its occurrence in Mexico has been rising over the last decade. This study investigates specific genetic DNA variants in women from Northeastern Mexico to understand how genes and age, body mass index, and menopause contribute to breast cancer risk. Studying interactions between gene variants related to insulin resistance, obesity, and inflammation may clarify breast cancer development. This knowledge improves our understanding of breast cancer risk factors and finding biomarkers for personalized prevention strategies in Mexican mestizo women.
Abstract
Background: Breast cancer (BC), one of the most common cancers, has increased in Mexico during the past decade, along with other chronic and metabolic diseases. Methods: Herein, we analyzed 121 SNPs (85 SNPs related to BC and/or glucose-associated metabolic pathways and 36 SNP classified as ancestry markers) in 92 confirmed BC cases and 126 unaffected BC women from Northeastern Mexico. The relationship of these 121 SNPs with BC, considering BMI, menopause status, and age as cofactors, was explored using a gene–environment (G × E) interaction multi-locus model. Results: Twelve gene variants were significantly associated with BC: three located in exome (rs3856806 PPARG, rs12792229 MMP8, and rs5218 KCNJ11-ABCC8), and nine in non-coding regions, which are involved in accelerated decay of the mRNA transcripts, regulatory regions, and flanking regions (rs3917542 PON1; rs3750804 and rs3750805 TCF7L2; rs1121980 and rs3751812 FTO; rs12946618 RPTOR; rs2833483 SCAF4; rs11652805 AMZ2P1-GNA13; and rs1800955 SCT-DEAF1-DRD4). Conclusions: This study identified an association between BC and menopause, age (above 45), obesity, and overweight status with gene variants implicated in diabetes mellitus, obesity, insulin resistance, inflammation, and remodeling of the extracellular matrix.
