Association of computed tomography scan-assessed body composition with immune and PI3K/AKT pathway proteins in distinct breast cancer tumor components
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Body composition impacts breast tumor biology. Low muscle mass in breast cancer patients correlates with specific immune markers and PI3K/AKT pathway alterations, suggesting potential therapeutic targets.
Area Of Science
- Oncology
- Radiology
- Immunology
Background
- Body composition, including adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, is increasingly recognized as a factor in cancer.
- Understanding the relationship between body composition and tumor microenvironment signaling pathways is crucial for personalized treatment strategies.
Approach
- This study classified 52 breast cancer patients into four body composition phenotypes based on computed tomography (CT) scans.
- Immune and PI3K/AKT pathway proteins were analyzed in tumor and stromal compartments using GeoMx (NanoString).
- Statistical models identified associations between body composition types and protein expression levels.
Key Points
- Low muscle mass was linked to higher INPP4B expression and altered CTLA4 and pan-AKT levels in tumor epithelium.
- High adiposity correlated with increased expression of immune cell markers (CD3, CD8, CD20, CD45RO) in the tumor stroma.
- Specific body composition phenotypes show distinct associations with immune and signaling pathways within breast tumors.
Conclusions
- Body composition phenotypes are associated with distinct immune and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway profiles in breast tumors.
- These findings highlight the potential of body composition assessment to inform breast cancer biology and predict treatment response.
- Further validation is needed to confirm the clinical utility of these associations.
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