Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Liver Transplantation and HPB Surgery, Basaksehir Cam and Sakura City Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

2 Department of General Surgery, Istanbul Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer is the primary contributor to cancer-related deaths in women. Cytokines have been linked to various cancers, and both benign and malignant breast diseases are associated with inflammation. However, there is limited understanding of how the immune system's cytokine response varies across different breast cancer subtypes.
Objective: This study seeks to evaluate cytokine levels in breast cancer patients based on their subtypes and to explore the potential role of these cytokines in treatment.
Methods: Patients with stage 1-2 breast cancer and healthy volunteers were included. The breast cancer patients were classified as luminal A, luminal B, and triple negative according to ER, PR, HER2 receptor status, and Ki67 score of trucut biopsy results. Multiplex assay and flow cytometry were used to quantify the concentrations of IL-1β, IFN-α2, IFN-γ, TNF-α, MCP-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p (p70), IL-17A, IL-18, IL-23, and IL-33 in serum samples collected from all participants. Age, menopause status, and hematologic parameters were also compared between groups.
Results: The study included 19 luminal A, 20 luminal B, 18 triple-negative patients and 21 healthy volunteers. TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p (p70), IL-18, and IL-23 cytokines were significantly higher in breast cancer patients compared to healthy volunteers. Significant differences in IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p (p70), IL-17A, IL-18, and IL-23 were observed between subtypes, with triple-negative patients exhibiting lower cytokine levels, except for MCP-1.
Conclusion: The reduced cytokine levels in triple-negative breast cancer suggest weaker immunogenicity and more aggressive tumor progression due to an inadequate immune response.

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