Abstract. At present, there is controversy regarding the efficacy of tamoxifen in breast cancer patients who are carriers of cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) gene polymorphisms, in terms of recurrence and overall survival. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the association of the CYP2D6 *4, *10 and *17 gene polymorphisms with breast cancer recurrence in a Brazilian population. The cohort comprised 40 receptor-positive breast cancer patients without recurrence and 40 with distant recurrence. A 3-ml sample of peripheral blood was collected from each patient to determine the presence of the *4, *10 and *17 single nucleotide polymorphisms of the CYP2D6 gene by quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding the polymorphism frequency (P=0.246). The results revealed that intermediate metabolizers occurred in 5% of patients without recurrence and in 15% of those with distant recurrence. Poor metabolizers occurred in only 1 patient (2.5%) per group, and there was no significant difference between the groups (P= 0.789). The present study concluded that the CYP2D6 gene polymorphism in women with hormone-sensitive breast cancer treated with tamoxifen was not associated with disease recurrence.

E-cadherin (EC) is an important glycoprotein cell-adhesion molecule that appears to play a significant role in the progression of breast lesions. The objective of this study was to evaluate EC expression in sclerosing adenosis, ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive ductal carcinoma. Samples of breast lesions from 44 women were used in this study, comprising cases of sclerosing adenosis (n = 11), ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) (n = 10) and invasive ductal carcinoma (n = 23). Immunohistochemical evaluation of EC expression was assessed semiquantitatively and considered negative (<10% of cells with stained cytoplasmic membranes), positive+ (10-50% of cells stained) or positive++ (> 50% of cells stained). Fisher's exact test was used to compare the distribution of staining intensity in the lesions (P< 0.05). There was a progressive loss of EC expression from benign to malignant lesions. This difference was statistically significant when sclerosing adenosis was compared with DCIS (P < 0.0002), when sclerosing adenosis was compared with invasive ductal carcinoma (P < 0.008) and when DCIS was compared with invasive ductal carcinoma (P < 0.007). The present findings point to a significant association between reduced EC expression and the progression and aggressivity of breast lesions. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2010. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Background: Cancer and fibroadenoma are the most common breast tumors in women of reproductive age. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and the nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) transcription factor play an important role in the inflammatory process and in cell proliferation. However, few studies have analyzed these markers in breast cancer and fibroadenoma in women of reproductive age.Results: Light microscopy showed a higher concentration of anti-Nrf2 and anti-NF-κB-stained nuclei in breast cancer than in fibroadenoma. The mean percentage of stained nuclei for Nrf2 was 7.12 ± 5.2 and 43.21 ± 19.83 in the control and study groups, respectively (p < 0.0001). The mean percentage of anti-NF-κB was 10.75 ± 7.09 and 56.14 ± 21.19 (mean ± standard deviation) in the control and study groups, respectively (p < 0.0001). Histological grade 3 tumors showed a significantly higher expression of Nrf2 and NF-κB than grade 1 tumors (p < 0.05).Material and methods: This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Federal University of Piaui and all patients assigned an inform consent term prior to the study initiation. Nrf2 and NF-κB expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 66 patients, divided into two groups, control (fibroadenoma, n = 36) and study (cancer, n = 30). The data were analyzed using ANOVA test and the statistical significance was established at p < 0.05.Conclusion: Nrf2 and NF-κB expression was significantly higher in breast cancer than in fibroadenoma, in addition to having a greater association with more aggressive tumors.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy affecting women worldwide. The insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) gene encodes a protein responsible for a wide variety of physiological processes, including differentiation and cell proliferation. Despite several studies on tumor tissues, no study has evaluated IGF-1 expression in the peripheral blood of women with recurrent breast cancer. In this cross-sectional study, IGF-1 expression in the peripheral blood of 146 women with breast cancer treated approximately 5 years ago was quantified by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain. The women were divided into 2 groups: non-recurrence (n = 85) and recurrence (n = 61). Statistical analysis of the data was performed using ANOVA, Mann–Whitney, and Chi-squared tests ( P < .05). The results showed no significant difference in IGF-1 expression between the non-recurrence and recurrence groups ( P = .988). In the subgroups of patients with lymph node involvement, no statistically significant difference was observed in IGF-1 expression between women with recurrence and those non-recurrence ( P = .113). In patients without lymph node metastases, IGF-1 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression levels were significantly higher in the non-recurrence group than in the recurrence group ( P = .019). Furthermore, using the median IGF-1 mRNA expression as the cutoff point, it was obtained a statistically significant difference in tumor histological grade among women with recurrent breast cancer ( P = .042). These data showed significantly higher IGF-1 expression in women without lymph node metastases in the non-recurrence group compared with the recurrence group. In addition, a significant difference was observed in median IGF-1 mRNA expression in relation to tumor histological grade in women with recurrent breast cancer.

BackgroundGliomas are the most common primary tumors of the central nervous system with unclear etiology, however hereditary factors may play important roles in the development of gliomas with mutations and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) being prominent among the genetic changes. this systematic review and meta-analysis assess the association of XRCC1 (rs1799782) and ERCC2 (rs13181) gene polymorphisms and glioma risk.MethodsThis study included articles indexed in the PUBMED and EMBASE databases published during the past 15 years. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. The PICOS model was used to develop the inclusion criteria and search terms. This review was recorded at PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews, ID 196173. The META-MAR V2.7.0 meta-analysis calculator was used for the statistical analysis with p-values < 0.05 being considered statistically significant. Dichotomous data are presented as odds ratios (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Statistical heterogeneity was measured using the I2 test and I2 > 50% were regarded as high heterogeneity. Funnel plots, Begg (BT) and Egger Tests (ET) were used to assess publication bias (p<0.1). Results Literature review identified 10 articles on ERCC2 gene rs13181 variant and 11 on XRCC1 rs1799782. The meta-analysis identified a risk for gliomas for the TT genotype of the XRCC1 rs1799782 SNP in Asians (OR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.3-1.93; p=0.006; I2 13.1%). ERCC2 rs13181 polymorphisms identified as risks for gliomas were AC genotypes in Asians (OR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.75-1.42; p = 0.00057; I2 91.1%) and Caucasians (OR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.01-1.31; p = 0.02; I2 12.2%), and CC genotypes in Caucasians (OR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.75-1.42; p = 0.0001; I2 98.9%).Conclusions TT genotypes of the XRCC1 rs1799782 SNP in Asians, AC genotypes of ERCC2 rs13181 polymorphisms in Asians and Caucasians, and CC genotypes of ERCC2 rs13181 polymorphisms in Caucasians were associated with increased risk for gliomas that may benefit these patients with early diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.