| Abstract [eng] |
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, accounting for 15-20% of all breast cancer cases. The main feature of TNKV is the lack of estrogen (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human growth factor 2 receptor (HER2) receptors. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is used to treat patients with TNBC. However, ~50% of patients develop resistance. Examination of serial liquid biopsy samples during cancer treatment can help to non-invasively understand and monitor the effectiveness of treatment. Blood plasma is most commonly used in liquid biopsy studies. R-RAS-2, BCL-2, NFIB, ALDH1A1 and UPF3A act in the STAT3 signaling pathway, and STAT3 is associated with chemotherapy resistance. Detection of these gene expression changes in blood plasma could be used as a non-invasive method to monitor the response to NAC and disease progression during treatment of TNBC patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate gene expression changes in the STAT3 signaling pathway in the blood plasma of TNBC patients during NAC treatment to determine their suitability for predicting response to treatment and disease progression by RT-qPCR method. BCL-2, R-RAS-2, STAT3 and NFIB gene expression increased after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P < 0.001; P < 0.001; P = 0.039; P = 0.001, respectively). Up to 7 and 3 times higher UPF3A and BCL-2 gene expression differences may be associated with incomplete response to treatment and, respectively, residual tumors after treatment (P = 0.045 P = 0.004 and P = 0.041, P = 0.013, respectively) also, up to 2 times higher R-RAS-2 is associated with better response to treatment (P = 0.042). Associations with Ki67 % and CEA before NAC were also found. Also, it was found that high expression of UPF3A and STAT3 after was associated with a shorter OS (up to 5 months; P = 0.012, and P = 0.047, respectively) and shorter PFS (up to 7 months; P = 0.049, and P = 0.049, respectively), as well as high BCL-2 expression and a 7-month shorter PFS (P = 0.037). These genes could be used as predictive markers for response to NAC and survival prognosis however more detailed studies are needed. |
