IGFBP3 mRNA expression in benign and malignant breast tumors.
BACKGROUND
Most previous studies have focused on evaluating the association between circulating insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) levels and breast cancer risk. Emerging evidence over the past few years suggests that IGFBP-3 may act directly on mammary epithelial cells.


METHODS
To understand the role of IGFBP-3 in breast tumorigenesis, we investigated IGFBP3 mRNA expression levels in benign and malignant breast tumors and their adjacent normal tissues using real-time quantitative PCR.


RESULTS
Cancer tissues had significantly lower IGFBP3 expression than benign tumor tissues (p < 0.001). IGFBP3 expressions in both tumor and adjacent tissues were higher in patients who had proliferative benign tumors than in those who had non-proliferative benign tumors. Among patients with benign breast disease, IGFBP3 expression in the tumor was significantly higher than that in their adjacent normal tissue. There were no apparent associations of IGFBP3 expression in cancer tissues with either overall survival or disease-free survival in a cohort of 521 patients with breast cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that the expression level of IGFBP3 in breast tissues may be involved in breast tumorigenesis.
Ren
Zefang
Z
Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center, Vanderbilt University, S-1121 MCN, 1161 21st Ave, S, Nashville, TN 37232-2587, USA.
Shin
Aesun
A
Cai
Qiuyin
Q
Shu
Xiao-Ou
XO
Gao
Yu-Tang
YT
Zheng
Wei
W
D000328:Adult; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
D012333:RNA, Messenger