Integrin α6 β4 on Circulating Tumor Cells of Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients

Mehran Sharifi; Bahareh Zarrin; Majed Bahri Najafi; Mohamad Reza Hakimian; Nastaran Hosseini; Kasra Talebi; Shaghayegh Haghjooy Javanmard

doi:10.4103/abr.abr_76_21

Integrin α6 β4 on Circulating Tumor Cells of Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients

Adv Biomed Res. 2021 Jun 28:10:16. doi: 10.4103/abr.abr_76_21. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Mehran Sharifi¹, Bahareh Zarrin², Majed Bahri Najafi², Mohamad Reza Hakimian², Nastaran Hosseini², Kasra Talebi², Shaghayegh Haghjooy Javanmard²

Affiliations

¹ Cancer Prevention Research Center, Isfahan Medical School, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran.
² Applied Physiology Research Center, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

Abstract

Background: The detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is prognostic during the disease in women with metastatic breast cancer. Integrins are key role players in nearly every step of cancer progression. In this study, we aimed to analyze integrin alpha6beta4 expression on CTCs isolated from blood samples of patients with advanced breast cancer.

Materials and methods: In this single-center study, peripheral blood samples from 23 breast cancer patients were obtained and analyzed for the presence of CTCs by EasySep™ Direct Human CTC Enrichment Kit combined with subsequent immunocytochemical staining of anti-cytokeratin and anti-epithelial cell adhesion molecules, and β4 integrin on CTCs. Data were correlated with clinicopathological parameters.

Results: CTCs were detected in 100% of the patients. The ratio of integrin β4+ CTC was 61% ± 8% of total CTCs. No significant correlation between histopathological parameters and CTC detection was found.

Conclusion: Our results demonstrated the importance of α6 β4 integrin expression on CTCs in distant metastasis.

Keywords: Circulating tumor cells; epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; metastatic breast cancer; α6 β4 integrin.