Objective: To analyse the expression of mouse mammary tumor virus-like (MMTV-like) gene sequencesin breast cancer of Chinese women.
Methods: Using nested PCR that amplify MMTV-like gene sequences, we tested the breast cancer tissues from 131 Chinese patients. The result was analyzed and compared with postoperative pathology and prevalence that had been reported from different populations.
Results: MMTV-like gene sequences were amplified in 22 of 131 (16.8%) breast cancer biopsy tissues from Chinese patients, which had no relation to pathology, but had the significant difference from other populations.
Conclusion: MMTV-like gene sequences can be found in breast cancer tissue from Chinese women with breast cancer. This supports the contention that these sequences may represent a virus associated with human breast carcinogenesis. The differences in prevalence of MMTV-like gene sequences and breast cancer rates among populations may be related to geographic distribution.