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01-01-2019 | Original Article

Serum miRNA-based distinct clusters define three groups of breast cancer patients with different clinicopathological and immune characteristics

Authors: Sotirios P. Fortis, Christoforos K. Vaxevanis, Louisa G. Mahaira, Michael Sofopoulos, Nectaria N. Sotiriadou, Amalia Dinou, Niki Arnogiannaki, Catherine Stavropoulos-Giokas, Dimitris Thanos, Constantin N. Baxevanis, Sonia A. Perez

Published in: Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy | Issue 1/2019

Abstract

Breast cancer (BCa) is a heterogeneous disease with different histological, prognostic and clinical aspects. Therefore, the need for identification of novel biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of disease, as well as treatment outcome prediction remains at the forefront of research. The search for circulating elements, obtainable by simple peripheral blood withdrawal, which may serve as possible biomarkers, constitutes still a challenge. In the present study, we have evaluated the expression of 6 circulating miRNAs, (miR-16, miR-21, miR-23α, miR-146α, miR-155 and miR-181α), in operable BCa patients, with non-metastatic, invasive ductal carcinoma, not receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. These miRNAs, known to be involved in both tumor cell progression and immune pathways regulation, were analyzed in relation to circulating cytokines, tumor immune-cell infiltration and established prognostic clinicopathological characteristics. We have identified three different clusters, with overall low (C1), moderate (C2) or high (C3) expression levels of these six circulating miRNAs, which define three distinct groups of non-metastatic BCa patients characterized by different clinicopathological and immune-related characteristics, with possibly different clinical outcomes. Our data provide the proof-of-principle to support the notion that, up- or down-regulation of the same circulating miRNA may reflect different prognosis in BCa. Nonetheless, the prognostic and/or predictive potential of these three “signatures” needs to be further evaluated in larger cohorts of BCa patients with an, at least, 5-year clinical follow-up.

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Title: Serum miRNA-based distinct clusters define three groups of breast cancer patients with different clinicopathological and immune characteristics
Authors: Sotirios P. Fortis
Christoforos K. Vaxevanis
Louisa G. Mahaira
Michael Sofopoulos
Nectaria N. Sotiriadou
Amalia Dinou
Niki Arnogiannaki
Catherine Stavropoulos-Giokas
Dimitris Thanos
Constantin N. Baxevanis
Sonia A. Perez
Publication date: 01-01-2019
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy / Issue 1/2019
Print ISSN: 0340-7004
Electronic ISSN: 1432-0851
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-018-2252-7

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