KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to identify associations between palpitations in women with BC before surgery and SNPs in neurotransmitter genes.
- The alterations in the neurotransmitter levels were contributing to palpitations.
Ying Sheng and the team aimed to identify associations between the palpitations encountered by women before breast cancer (BC) surgery and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for neurotransmitter genes.
Researchers enrolled 398 women, scheduled for unilateral BC surgery, and provided detailed information on demographic and clinical characteristics and the occurrence of palpitations before BC surgery.
They evaluated the palpitation using a single item: “heart races/pounds” in the past week, answered with “yes” or “no.” Blood samples were collected for genomic analyses. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify associations between the occurrence of palpitations and variations in neurotransmitter genes.
The results revealed that 9 SNPs and 2 haplotypes within 11 candidate genes demonstrated associations with the encounter of palpitations in women with BC. These genes encode various neurotransmitters and/or their receptors, such as serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), Substance P, and neurokinin.
The study concluded that alterations in a variety of neurotransmitter-encoding genes contributed to the development of palpitations.
The funding information was not provided.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38950091/
Sheng Y., Conley Y.P., Paul S.M., et al. (2024). “Palpitations in Women With Breast Cancer Are Associated With Polymorphisms for Neurotransmitter Genes.” Oncol Nurs Forum. 2024 Jun 14;51(4):332-348. doi: 10.1188/24.ONF.332-348. PMID: 38950091.
