The Steroid Receptors Gene Expression Possibly related to Serum Adipocytokines in Breast Cancer Patients

The Steroid Receptors Gene Expression Possibly related to Serum Adipocytokines in Breast Cancer Patients
Fereidoun Mamaghani,^1,* Mohammad Pourhassan,² Nosratollah Zarghami,³
1. Manager of Nutrition Therapy ward in Mahtab Polyclinic
2. Department of Medical Biotechnology, Tabriz Medical Sciences University, Tabriz, Iran
3. Head of Medical Biotechnology Department, Tabriz Medical Sciences University, Tabriz, Iran
Introduction: The role of adipocyte-derived hormones in breast cancer pathogenesis well studied, it is speculated that there is a crosstalk between adipocytokines and Estrogen receptor(ER) signaling. To test this hypothesis we evaluate the possible correlation between serum levels of adipocytokines with steroid hormone receptors gene expression in breast cancer patients.
Methods: In this case-control study, 70 women with breast cancer participated with different grades of obesity (36 none obese, BMI < 25 kg/m2 and 34 obese, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2). Serum level of adiponectin, leptin, TNFα, and IL6 determined by ELISA. Following the quantitative expression of the androgen receptor (AR), progesterone receptor (PR) and estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) mRNA in tumor tissues evaluated by Real-time PCR.
Results: A significant reverse correlation found between serum level of Adiponectin and ERα and PR mRNA (r = –0.229, n = 64, p = 0.035 and r = –0.220, n = 64, p = 0.041) but no correlation was between adiponectin and, ERβ and AR in samples (P > 0.05). In case of leptin, we observed a positive correlation between leptin and ERα and PR mRNA. (r = 0.553, n = 64, p < 0.001, r = 0.359, n = 64, p = 0.002 and a reverse significant correlation between leptin and ERβ (r= –0.506, n = 64 and p < 0.001). We also observed a significant correlation between TNFα and IL6 with steroid receptors gene expression in samples (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: As the presence of steroid receptors are used as the most common prognostic markers in breast cancer patients, so targeting adipocytokines as potential regulators of steroid receptorsgene expression can be a new approach in treatment of obese breast cancer subjects.
Keywords: Breast Cancer, Obesity, Adipocytokines, Steroid Receptors, Real-time PCR.