title: Characterization and Clinical Implication of Th1/Th2/Th17 Cytokines Produced from Three-Dimensionally Cultured Tumor Tissues Resected from Breast Cancer Patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Several cytokines secreted from breast cancer tissues are suggested to be related to disease prognosis. We examined Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines produced from three-dimensionally cultured breast cancer tissues and related them with patient clinical profiles.
  
  
  METHODS
  21 tumor tissues and 9 normal tissues surgically resected from breast cancer patients were cultured in thermoreversible gelatin polymer-containing medium. Tissue growth and Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokine concentrations in the culture medium were analyzed and were related with hormone receptor expressions and patient clinical profiles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IL-6 and IL-10 were expressed highly in culture medium of both cancer and normal tissues. However, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2, and IL-17A were not detected in the supernatant of the three-dimensionally cultured normal mammary gland and are seemed to be specific to breast cancer tissues. The growth abilities of hormone receptor-negative cancer tissues were significantly higher than those of receptor-positive tissues (P=0.0383). Cancer tissues of stage ≥IIB patients expressed significantly higher TNF-α levels as compared with those of patients with stage <IIB (P=0.0096).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The tumor tissues resected from breast cancer patients can grow in the three-dimensional thermoreversible gelatin polymer culture system and produce Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines. Hormone receptor-positive cancer tissues showed less growth ability. TNF-α is suggested to be a biomarker for the cancer stage.
authors: Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan. Electronic address: y064076@toyaku.ac.jp.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Kiyomi
authors: The Cancer Institute Hospital of JFCR, Department of Breast Oncology, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550, Japan; Nippon Medical School Musashi Kosugi Hospital, Department of Breast Surgery, 1-396 Kosugimachi, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 211-8533, Japan. Electronic address: m-makita@nms.ac.jp.
authors: Masujiro
authors: M
authors: Makita
authors: Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan. Electronic address: y094055@toyaku.ac.jp.
authors: Tomoko
authors: T
authors: Ozeki
authors: Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan. Electronic address: y094227@toyaku.ac.jp.
authors: Na
authors: N
authors: Li
authors: Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan. Electronic address: aiko_satomura@yahoo.co.jp.
authors: Aiko
authors: A
authors: Satomura
authors: Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan. Electronic address: sachiko@toyaku.ac.jp.
authors: Sachiko
authors: S
authors: Tanaka
authors: Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan. Electronic address: knjond@toyaku.ac.jp.
authors: Kenji
authors: K
authors: Onda
authors: Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan. Electronic address: sugiyama@toyaku.ac.jp.
authors: Kentaro
authors: K
authors: Sugiyama
authors: The Cancer Institute Hospital of JFCR, Department of Breast Oncology, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550, Japan. Electronic address: takuji.iwase@jfcr.or.jp.
authors: Takuji
authors: T
authors: Iwase
authors: Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan. Electronic address: hiranot@toyaku.ac.jp.
authors: Toshihiko
authors: T
authors: Hirano