The Transcription Factor ZEB-1 Conveys Chemoresistance in Breast Cancer | ||||
SECI Oncology Journal | ||||
Volume 12, Issue 2, April 2024, Page 163-171 | ||||
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Abstract | ||||
Background: A transcription factor called zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB-1) controls tissue-specific processes and cell differentiation. In numerous human cancer types, including breast, pancreatic, osteosarcoma, lung, liver, gastric, colon, and uterine cancers, aberrant expression of ZEB-1 has been reported. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic role of immunohistochemical expression of ZEB-1 transcription factor in breast cancer. Material and method: This retrospective study investigated the prognostic role of immunohistochemical expression of ZEB-1 in breast cancer patients. It included 63 cases of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, presented and diagnosed at South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University between January 2019 and December 2021. All patients were stained with anti ZEB-1 antibody. Patients followed up for at least 24 months. Results: There was a significant association detected between high ZEB-1 expression and poor response to the first line chemotherapy, development of metastasis (P value <0.001) {42.2% of patients with high ZEB-1 expression progressed with newly developed distant metastasis after receiving adjuvant treatment } and disease progression especially disease progression with bone metastasis in the studied breast cancer cases (P value= 0.006 as six cases with high ZEB-1 expression progressed with newly developed bone metastasis after receiving adjuvant treatment }. There was a significant association detected between low ZEB-1 expression and increased disease free survival (P value= 0.001 as 92% of patients with low ZEB-1 expression were disease free during the whole period of follow up). There was a significant association detected between diagnosis with advanced tumor stage and decreased disease free survival (P value=0.023) and also with decreased overall survival (P value=0.042) of the studied breast cancer cases. There was a significant association detected between diagnosis with multicenteric tumor type &/or presence of Paget`s disease and decreased overall survival of the studied breast cancer cases with (P value =0.018) and (P value=0.014) respectively as patients with multicenteric tumor &/or patients with paget’s disease shown to have decreased overall survival when compared with patients with unicenteric tumor &/or patients without paget’s disease. However, there was no significant association found between high ZEB-1 expression and clinicopathological data, hormonal profile or overall survival (P value=0.009) of the studied breast cancer cases. Conclusions: High ZEB-1 protein expression was a poor predictive marker of disease-free survival in breast cancer patients (P value=0.001). Also, there was a pivotal role of high ZEB-1 expression in disease progression and development of metastasis (P value<0.001) especially progression with bone metastasis among breast cancer patients (P value=0.006). | ||||
Keywords | ||||
Breast Cancer; Immunohistochemical Expression; ZEB-1 Transcription Factor | ||||
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