title: Comparative clinical and transcriptomal profiles of breast cancer between French and South Mediterranean patients show minor but significative biological differences.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Western countries, breast cancer incidence and mortality are higher than in Mediterranean countries. These differences have been ascribed to environmental factors but also to late-stage diagnostic and biological specific characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between September 2002 and September 2005, we collected clinical data by phone counselling 180 French and Mediterranean breast cancer patients and performed microarray experiments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Characteristics of breast cancer in patients from Lebanon, Tunisia and Morocco were more aggressive (more SBR grade III and positive node invasion) and patients were 10 years younger at diagnosis. Sixteen differentially expressed genes such as MMP9, VEGF, PHB1, BRCA1, TFAP2C, GJA1 and TFF1 were also found. Additionally, an up-regulation of cytokeratins KRT8 and KRT18 may indicate a luminal B subtype in "South" (Lebanon, Tunisia and Morocco) tumors while "North" (France) tumors may more frequently be luminal A type.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study allowed the identification of specific clinical and transcriptomic parameters in patients from South Mediterranean countries.
authors.affiliation: Département d'Oncogénétique, Centre Jean Perrin, 63011 Clermont-Ferrand Cedex 01, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chalabi
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bernard-Gallon
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Bignon
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kwiatkowski
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agier
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Laplace-Chabaud
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sylvain-Vidal
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bertholet
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Longueville
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lacroix
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leclercq
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Remacle
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sibille
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zammateo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ben Jaafar
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sefiani
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ouldim
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mégarbané
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jalkh
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mahfoudh
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Troudi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ben Ammar-El Gaïed
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chouchane
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007861:Lebanon; D008875:Middle Aged; D009018:Morocco; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D000091402:Prohibitins; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C000717328:PHB protein, human; D000091402:Prohibitins