Background: Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inactivates catechol estrogens by methylation and thus may play a protective role against mutations induced by estrogen metabolites. In this study we investigated the relationship between the Vall58Met polymorphism in the COMT gene and breast cancer risk in a population-based case control study in Syria.
Methods: We examined 135 breast cancer patients and 107 healthy controls in North Syria to determine the association between the functional genetic Val158Met polymorphism in the COMT gene and female breast cancer risk.
Results: There was no significant overall association between the COMT genotype and individual susceptibility to breast cancer.
Conclusions: Our data suggest that there may be no overall association between the COMT genotype and breast cancer.