title: Effect of NUCKS-1 overexpression on cytokine profiling in obese women with breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Overweight and obesity are recognized as major drivers of cancers including breast cancer. Several cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10 and lipocalin 2 (LCN2), as well as dysregulated cell cycle proteins are implicated in breast carcinogenesis. The nuclear, casein kinase and cyclin-dependent kinase substrate-1 (NUCKS-1), is a nuclear DNA-binding protein that has been implicated in several human cancers, including breast cancer.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study was conducted to evaluate NUCKS-1 mRNA expression in breast tissue from obese patients with and without breast cancer and lean controls. NUCKS-1 expression was correlated to cytokine profiles as prognostic and monitoring tools for breast cancer, providing a molecular basis for a causal link between obesity and risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 39 females with breast cancer (G III) that was furtherly subdivided into two subgroups according to cancer grading (G IIIa and G IIIb) and 10 control obese females (G II) in addition to 10 age-matched healthy lean controls (G I). NUCKS-1 expression was studied in breast tissue biopsies by means of real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Serum cytokine profiles were determined by immunoassay. Lipid profiles and glycemic status as well as anthropometric measures were also recorded for all participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IL-6, IL-12 and LCN2 were significantly higher in control obese and breast cancer group than their relevant lean controls (p<0.05), while NUCKS-1 mRNA expression was significantly higher in the breast cancer group compared to the other groups (p<0.05). Significant higher levels of IL-6, IL-12, and LCN2 as well as NUCKS-1 mRNA levels were reported in G IIIb than G IIIa, and positively correlated with obesity markers in all obese patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evaluation of cytokine levels as well as related gene expression may provide a new tool for understanding interactions for three axes of carcinogenesis, innate immunity, inflammation and cell cycling, and hope for new strategies of management.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medical Biochemistry, 2Departments of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt E-mail : nemaali2006@yahoo mail.com.
authors.forename: Nema Ali
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Soliman
authors.forename: Doaa Hussein
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Zineldeen
authors.forename: Osama Helmy
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: El-Khadrawy
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015850:Interleukin-6; C489506:LCN2 protein, human; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins; C426654:NUCKS1 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016753:Interleukin-10