Background: Nestin is a neural stem cell protein that plays an important role in cancer stem cells (CSC) development and proliferation. It has been identified as a marker for newly formed endothelial cells and was shown to be preferentially expressed in basal and myoepithelial cells of the mammary gland. HOTAIR is long intergenic non-coding (linRNA) associated with tumorigenesis through promotion of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stemness as well. HOTAIR gene contains a functioning single nucleotide polymorphic site rs12826786 C>T that has been associated with several cancer types.
Methods: We evaluated serum Nestin and the HOTAIR rs12826786 C>T polymorphism in healthy Egyptian women and those with breast cancer as a possible screening tool to identify patients with breast cancer. Also, we tested the possible association of the two markers with each other and the aggressiveness of the disease.
Results: Patients with breast cancer had a median (Min-Max) of serum Nestin 31.3 (6.7-167.3 pg/mL), while control subjects had a median (Min-Max) of serum Nestin 42.3 (25.7-315.95) pg/mL. The best cut-off value for serum Nestin to differentiate normal subjects and patients with breast cancer was 39.9 pg/mL. This cut-off value had a diagnostic sensitivity of 84.8% and specificity of 65.1%. There was a significant difference in the distribution of different alleles in patients with breast cancer than normal subjects (P=0.039 Exact Fisher test). The breast cancer patients group had 23.9% CC, 52.1% CT, and 23.9% TT genotypes, respectively, while the control group had 46.9% CC, 42.8% CT, and 10.2% TT, respectively.
Conclusions: A significantly low serum Nestin below 39.9 pg/mL and a higher percentage of the T/T homozygous variant allele of HOTAIR rs12826786 C>T were found in Egyptian patients with breast cancer. We suggest that the reported cut-off value of serum Nestin and the presence of C/T polymorphism can be used to assess the risk of females for developing breast cancer and might be of potential benefit in screening the disease. Larger studies in different ethnic groups are needed to confirm our findings.
Uvod: Nestin je protein neuronskih matičnih ćelija koji ima važnu ulogu u razvoju i proliferaciji matičnih ćelija raka (CSC). Identifikovan je kao marker za novoformirane endotelne ćelije, a pokazalo se da je preferencijalno izražen u bazalnim i mioepitelnim ćelijama mlečne žlezde. HOTAIR je dugo intergensko nekodiranje (linRNA) povezano sa genezom tumora kroz promociju epitelno-mezenhimske tranzicije (EMT) kao i karakteristikama matičnih ćelija. HOTAIR gen ima jedno funkcionalno nukleotidno polimorfno mesto rs12826786 C > T koje je povezano sa nekoliko tipova raka.
Metode: Izvršena je evaluacija serumskog Nestina i HOTAIR rs12826786 C>T polimorfizma kod zdravih žena u Egiptu, kao i onih sa karcinomom dojke, kao mogućeg skrining alata za identifikaciju pacijenata sa karcinomom dojke. Takođe, testirali smo moguću povezanost između ova dva markera i agresivnosti bolesti.
Rezultati: Pacijentkinje sa karcinomom dojke su imale srednju vrednost (Min-Maks) seruma Nestina 31,3 (6,7-167,3 pg/mL), dok su kontrolne ispitanice imale srednju vrednost (Min-Maks) seruma Nestina 42,3 (25,7-315,95 pg/mL). Najbolja granična vrednost Nestina u serumu koja je ukazivala na razliku između zdravih ispitanica i pacijentkinja sa karcinomom dojke bila je 39,9 pg/mL. Ova granična vrednost imala je dijagnostičku osetljivost od 84,8% i specifičnost od 65,1%. Bilo je značajne razlike u distribuciji različitih alela kod pacijentkinja sa karcinomom dojke nego kod zdravih ispitanica (P=0,039 Fišerov test tačne verovatnoće). Grupa bolesnica sa karcinomom dojke imala je 23,9% CC, 52,1% CT i 23,9% TT genotipa, dok je kontrolna grupa imala 46,9% CC, 42,8% CT i 10,2% TT respektivno.
Zaključak: Kod egipatskih pacijentkinja koje su imale karcinom dojke otkriven je značajno nizak serumski Nestin, ispod 39,9 pg/mL, i veći procenat alela homozigotne varijante T/T HOTAIR rs12826786 C>T. Predlažemo da se prijavljena granična vrednost Nestina u serumu i prisustvo C/T polimorfizma koristi za procenu rizika kod žena za razvoj raka dojke, a može biti i od koristi u skriningu bolesti. Potrebne su obimnije studije u različitim etničkim grupama da bi se naši nalazi potvrdili.
2021 Sarah A. Aglan, Mohamed Elsammak, Omar Elsammak, Eman A. El-Bakoury, Heba G. Elsheredy, Yasser S. Ahmed, Mohamed H. Sultan, Ahmed M. Awad, published by CEON/CEES.