Cadherins and repressor tumor factor expression in breast cancer patients in the presence or absence of malignant cells in bone marrow

Abstract

PURPOSE: Gene profile is believed to be different in tumor and normal tissue. Besides, it is possible that tumor acquires characteristics that provide ability to develop metastasis in specific sites. Tumoral expression of Cadherins 3 and 11 (involved with adhesion and cellular migration) and CBX3 (transcriptional repressor) may be related to aggressiveness and lower survival in breast cancer (BC) patients. Our purpose is to compare tumoral and normal mammary tissue expression of Cadherin 3, Cadherin 11 and CBX3 and to correlate tumoral expression of these genes with bone marrow (BM) colonization by tumoral cells. METHODS: Samples of tumor, normal tissue and BM were obtained from 30 BC patients stage I-III. Expression of Cadherin 3, Cadherin 11 and CBX3 were analysed by RT- PCR-Real Time. Malignant cells in BM were determined by CK19 expression in Nested-PCR. RESULTS: Seventeen patients (56,7%) had malignat cells in BM. There was hiperexpression of Cadherin 3 and Cadherin11, but not of CBX3, in tumor in relation to normal tissue. We did not fi nd association between tumor expression of Cadherin 3, Cadherin 11 and CBx3 and presence of tumor cells in BM. CONCLUSIONS: Hiperexpression of Cadherin 3 and Cadherin 11 in tumor in relation to normal tissue suggests that these genes can be associated to carcinogenesis. Tumor expression of Cadherin 3, Cadherin 11 and CBX3 were not associated to BM dissemination.