STAT-5 and STAT-6 in Breast Cancer: Potential Crosstalk With Estrogen and Progesterone Receptors Can Affect Cell Proliferation and Metastasis

Mohamed Oueslati; Ilhem Bettaieb; Ridha Ben Younes; Amor Gamoudi; Khaled Rahal; Ridha Oueslati

doi:10.14740/jocmr4785

STAT-5 and STAT-6 in Breast Cancer: Potential Crosstalk With Estrogen and Progesterone Receptors Can Affect Cell Proliferation and Metastasis

J Clin Med Res. 2022 Oct;14(10):416-424. doi: 10.14740/jocmr4785. Epub 2022 Oct 28.

Authors

Mohamed Oueslati¹, Ilhem Bettaieb², Ridha Ben Younes¹, Amor Gamoudi², Khaled Rahal³, Ridha Oueslati¹

Affiliations

¹ Unit of Immunology, Environmental Microbiology and Carcinogenesis (IMEC), Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage, Zarzouna 7021, Tunisia.
² Department of Immuno-Histo-Cytology, Salah Azaiz Cancer Institute, Tunis, Tunisia.
³ Department of Carcinologic Surgery, Salah Azaiz Cancer Institute, Tunis, Tunisia.

Abstract

Background: Signal transducers and activators of transcription 5a and 6 (STAT5a and STAT6) play a critical role in tumorigenesis of mammary glands. Based on previous studies, the breast cancer is largely dependent on hormone receptors. Consequently, it is very interesting to decipher the relationship between the STAT5a and STAT6 expression and the molecular distribution of estrogen receptors (ERs) and progesterone receptors (PRs) in mammary tumors.

Methods: Our study analyzed the expression of STAT5a and STAT6, ERα, ERβ and PR in 40 breast tumor tissues using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Furthermore, the Ki-67 and HER2 status were detected using immunohistochemistry.

Results: STAT5a and STAT6 were retained in the majority of the cases studied. Increasing of STAT5a and STAT6 is significantly associated with ERs and PR. The coexpression of both STAT5a and STAT6 with ERs and PR is associated with high tumor grades. Moreover, the coexpression of STAT5a and STAT6 with ERα and PR is associated with a high proliferation index. In addition, (STAT6 + ERβ+) and (STAT6 + PR+) breast cancer subgroups are associated with lymph node infiltration (P = 0.001 and P = 0.03, respectively).

Conclusions: Our study results provide an interaction between STAT5a and STAT6 with ERs and PR inducing cell proliferation. Coexpression of STAT5a and STAT6 with ERs and PR can predict sensibility to hormonal therapy.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Crosstalk; ERs; PR; STAT5a; STAT6.