Investigating the level of vitamin D receptor gene expression in two tumoral and healthy breast tissues in breast...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Breast cancer is a prevalent malignancy among women globally.
• Investigating gene expression, such as the vitamin D receptor (VDR), is crucial for understanding cancer development.
• The role of VDR in breast cancer pathogenesis and its association with prognostic factors requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify and compare vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene expression levels in tumoral versus healthy breast tissues.
• To examine the correlation between VDR gene expression and established prognostic factors in breast cancer patients.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive cross-sectional study involving 50 breast cancer patients undergoing surgery.
• Collection and pathological evaluation of tumoral and healthy breast tissue samples (n=100).
• Determination of HER2, ER, and PR indices, followed by statistical analysis of VDR gene expression.

Main Results:

• VDR gene expression was significantly higher in healthy breast tissue (2.08 ± 1.01) than in tumoral tissue (0.25 ± 1.38) (P=0.001).
• Tumor characteristics included average age 51.60 ± 11.22 years, average tumor size 3.17 ± 1.28 cm, and 48% were grade 2.
• HER2, ER, and PR expression was positive in 24%, 64%, and 54% of cases, respectively. No significant association was found between VDR expression and tumor grade, HER2, ER, PR, LVI, LN, stage, age, or tumor size.

Conclusions:

• VDR gene expression is significantly downregulated in breast tumor tissues compared to adjacent healthy tissues.
• VDR expression levels in breast cancer do not show a significant correlation with key prognostic indicators such as tumor grade, receptor status, or disease stage.