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Background: Tumor cells express surface structures different from normal cells. These structures may be recognized by the immune system, which ensure anti-tumoral surveillance. Antigenic presentation requires HLA molecules role. Since, these molecules are encoded by a high polymorphic system, immune response can be modulated according to HLA genotype. So, HLA polymorphism could be correlated with tumor escape from anti-tumor immunosurveillance., Aim: We have aimed to search for possible associations between HLA DQB1 alleles and the histoprognostical parameters in breast cancer in the Tunisian population., Methods: DQB1 alleles were determined by PCR-SSO molecular typing in 100 healthy matched and unrelated Tunisian female and 87 Tunisian women with breast cancer., Results: Allelic distribution between the two studied groups showed no significant associations between this locus and the occurrence, the EE grade and the lymph node invasion of breast cancer in the Tunisian population., Conclusion: This result may be explained by the fact that cancer is a multifactoral disease due to several interacting factors that might change from one population to another.

Aim: The aim of this work was to study the correlation between the mitochondrial microsatellite, situated between the nucleotides 303 and 315 of the mitochondrial genome and the breast cancer in Tunisia., Materials and Methods: We have analyzed, by PCR-sequencing, the polymorphism of a mitochondrial microsatellite in 40 Tunisian patients and 39 healthy Tunisian donors. Comparisons of epidemiologic and sequences data were performed by chi-2 test., Results: We have revealed, for this mitochondrial microsatellite, seven different haplotypes in patients and five different haplotypes in controls. The haplotypic distribution was not significant between patients and controls but a negative association between one of these haplotypes (309+C 315+C) and the lymph node invasion was found., Conclusion: The haplotype 309+C 315+C is negatively correlated with lymph node invasion of breast cancer in Tunisia.