Ammar S. El Hassan, Abbas K. Mohammed, Abdeen W. Wagee Allah, Isra M. Osamn, Mohamed O. Mustafa, Abdel Rahim M. El Hussein, Azza Babiker, Khalid A. Enan, Isam M. Elkhidir
Background: Since the discovery of MMTV virus and its association with mammary tumors in mice, there has been growing evidence that a virus with 95% DNA identity to Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus (MMTV) may have a role in human breast cancer.
Aim: To determine the prevalence of the MMTV-like virus in Breast Cancer tissue specimens in Khartoum State, Sudan by using semi-nested PCR.
Objective: To document the existence of MMTV in BC in Sudan.
Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study is used for molecular detection of mouse mammary tumor virus-like sequence. Fifty paraffin-embedded tissue samples of breast cancer tissue were collected from Omdurman Teaching Hospital Histopathology Department. The information in connection with these samples included age, sex, gender, breast cancer type and grade. The specimens were de-deparaffinized using xylene and then rehydrated in graded ethanol concentrations and deionized water. The DNA was extracted using a Qiagen kit (USA) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Semi nested PCR was used to amplify 190-bp MMTV like sequence. Data analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel.
Results: The presence of MMTV-like sequence was investigated in 50 breast cancer tissue samples collected from Sudanese women previously diagnosed with breast cancer by using semi-nested PCR analysis. MMTV-like sequences were detected in 18 (36%) of the 50 breast cancer specimens.
Conclusion: The study provides the first evidence on the high prevalence of MMTV-like sequences in Breast Cancer tissue obtained from Sudanese female patients.